The Hyuuga Clan's Ideal Heiress (A Dark Hinata Story)
by Tobee
Summary: What are the consequences of Hinata Hyuga starting out a prodigy? What happens to Neji, Hanabi, the Uchiha massacre, Sasuke, and Itachi? Naruto finally gets a friend and new rival for Hokage! Machiavellian!Strong!Hinata-Centric x Multi POV Anti-Heroine x Villainess? (Warning: Antagonistic protagonist. Not time travel, more like powerful AU Hinata self inserted to canon timeline)
1. Chapter 1

The Hyuuga clan elders were watching a pure taijutsu match between Hinata and Hanabi.

Hinata was losing until suddenly she overpowered a punch with the gentle fist that knocked Hanabi out.

Hinata stood back straight and dusted her shorts, her eyes blank and emotionless. Nothing like what she was like, alone.

Hiashi was shocked, but only allowed a millimeter of widened eyes.

"Hiashi-dono, I believe this concludes the four-year-long case. Your second daughter will be receiving the Caged Bird Seal tonight."


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, when Hinata woke up from her room and headed across the hall to get something to eat, a Branch member scurried past and saw her out of her room.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING OU-" His quotidian habitual yell began, but another servant slapped his head down and bowed.

"My apologies, Esteemed Heiress. This humble servant here was briefly taken over by his emotions of wanting to serve you breakfast. We wouldn't want you overexerting yourself in trivial matters, after all."

Hinata nearly stuttered. But she nailed her mouth shut and forced herself to nod, thankful to all the kami for the mask her blank-white eyes provided her. And they were too subdued to notice anything amiss anyway.

She nodded, slowly, and only once, with all the elegance she could muster, before striding off in a faster pace than usual. The inside of her shoulders were stiff.

The two servants behind her fumbled for coherence, unsure whether they're to fetch breakfast for her anymore or to stop her from entering the kitchen. The shorter one supposed this tendency of ignoring the shameful "weak" heir had engrained into her this habit. The taller branch member gave a resigned grunt.

"Things change. I was hoping our _own_ prodigy would surpass Hinata-sama and give us hope of escaping this cage...But that's a treasonous thought. I don't think that way anymore," he amended quickly upon seeing his companion's expression.

By that time, Hinata was finished feeding her own nutrition and was back in her room, huddled in the blankets at the corner of the wall and clutching at her head. She was scared to face her sister.

She couldn't handle Hanabi looking at her the same way Neji did.


	3. Chapter 3

After some time of sulking, Hinata steeled herself. She had to face her fate. But maybe if she could delay it a little while longer, just so she could get ready?

Indeed, there was one thing that always motivated her body when she found herself drowning in insecurity. That _orange_ glow of hope. No, it was more like a bright beam, rays of guidance showing her that...even for someone in the worst of positions, it was possible to rise to the top. **He** was _always _smiling. Always_ happy_.

Unlike Hinata, _he_ had no friends and no family or clan to back him up.

And yet…

She was_ nothing_ compared to him.

She tried to see him in disdain, like a heiress of the greatest clan in Konoha should, but that always melted into inferior amazement.

Naruto never noticed.

* * *

><p>Hinata tossed her blankets to the other end of the room, climbed to her feet, and tentatively opened the closet. Pulling out that loose warm furry sweater she always wore, she slid it on and almost walked out through the door of her room-but her body stopped itself. Her hand was...<em>trembling<em>?

How unsightly.

After all, there was no way she was going to face her sister, much less her family. This inferiority complex...this_ fear_...Not even her sister or father knew about it. It was her innermost secret. Yes, there was only one sure cure aside from repressing it. And she was going to such a _doctor_ now.

She twirled around and pulled the window open, climbing her feet over to enter the back garden. Hinata took the detour and exited the clan compound, as stealthily as she can. She took advantage of her lack of presence to go unnoticed by any of the Hyuuga servants, walking to the academy like usual. It was time for school, after all. Luckily for her.

However.

A branch member spotted her and body flickered to her side. "Hinata-sama. Allow me to escort you," the adult looked panicked for some reason. Hinata shook her head, but the thought of it not being enough steeled her eyes and voice before she commanded. "No. I'm going by myself." Seeing the protest in his milky eyes, she murmured low enough to hide any stutter. "Just for today…P-Please." She internally scolded herself. She was losing her willpower.

The adult's eyes widened in shock for a millisecond before he bowed. "As you wish, Honored Heiress."

And very reluctantly, he tore his gaze from the vulnerable child, and vanished.

That aside, nothing stopped her from reaching the Academy before the bell rang. Hinata sneaked inside and sat there all day, tuning out Iruka-sensei's outdated lectures and settling her eyes on a blond-haired boy two rows below. The boy was wiggling in his seat and acting much like he'd rather be anywhere else but here.

She didn't feel the same. Her nerves calmed themselves and suddenly she wasn't her paranoid self anymore.

A tiny voice in the back of her mind told her she shouldn't be so fascinated by the village pariah. That it wasn't right for the Hyuuga clan's future leader. She squashed that voice.

The corners of her lips twitched upwards and her lids were less strained. If the day went on schedule, in _3_ seconds, Naruto-kun would do something stupidly incredible.

_2…_

_1…_

"IRUKA-SENSEI! Watch this!" An explosion set off from Naruto's desk but it wasn't that typical smoke or stink bomb. Everything within range of the entire classroom was splattered in a myriad of orange paint.

Even Hinata, who could've easily 8-trigramed the sticky liquid away, was struck.

The entire class erupted into an uproar.

"NARUUUTO!" A certain pinkette, though now orange, managed to find him through the indiscriminate colors and thump Naruto's head with a fist. _Her_ Naruto. Hinata could see the admiration in his eyes. She knew it was the same look she gave him. The killing intent from the quiet girl hushed the classroom. Only Naruto didn't notice. He never did.

"B-But Sakura-chan! Eep! Iruka-sensei? AAh!" With that, Naruto was out the window and gone.

Hinata forced herself to calm down, and it was easier without the object of her affections around. She was supposed to feel better, not feel...u-um. Anyway, it worked out, Hinata _did _feel more self control.

She exhaled softly in relief and bliss, and opened the textbook she'd brought along. Luckily she hadn't opened it so only the hardcover was soaked

"Isn't that a little too advanced for you?" A manly voice queried as a finger pointed to the instructions of the 128-trigrams.

By reflex, Hinata slammed the book shut and turned to see Mizuki-sensei. I know he isn't Hyuuga and won't have a use for this, but these are clan secrets, she thought, glaring at him with clear distrust. Mizuki reared back, completely untouched by paint were his silver hair and fearful, wide eyes. That seemed to be the expression she was always getting. He was sweating suspiciously and acting like he's been busted for some criminal activity.

As if Hinata read into his very soul.

_Mizuki-sensei must be one of the people who t-think the Byakugan can read what a person's like on the inside. Judging by his paranoid reaction, he must be hiding something bad. N-No, no way. I think I'm jumping to conclusions. I'm just mad he saw my book. I don't have to be paranoid, but..._ A flicker of worry passed through her mind. The fact that Naruto seemed to trust this man nearly as much as he did Iruka-sensei only intensified her stare. But by that time frame, the man was already smiling serenely and petting her hair.

She forced herself not to resist.

Mizuki-sensei then stepped to the front of the classroom and yelled, "Because this isn't a proper learning environment, and the space required for the janitors, class is dismissed today! Now got get cleaned up, BUT don't forget your homework!" He jutted in before all his students re-erupted into an uproar of excitement and fled the room.

The heiress paled. This early in the day, Hanabi should be being tutored…at home.

Hyuuga Hinata was the last student to exit.

But the mango-colored girl did get something out of this childish party.

_A little more resolve._

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Tobi wants to hear what you think! Even Tobi corrupts Hinata, Tobi will do good updates!

Is this chapter too slow? Since only 1 thing happened...


	4. Chapter 4

Upon arriving home, Hinata was greeted by a very shocked father at the Hyuuga compound entrance; if parted lips could be considered stunned.

The man shook his head. "Hinata, perfect timing. Why are you covered in that…substance?" Did you walk through Konoha like that?

She tried to answer slowly and neutrally, like an ANBU for a mission report.

"Yes, father. N-N- Uzumaki pulled another prank and—"

"And it has turned out benevolent to the _clan_, because now we have all day," Hiashi interrupted and turned around, heading inside through the main entrance. In another universe, she would have been reprimanded brutally.

Hinata stayed close behind at his heels, quickly. She then made sure to move to his right so she could see ahead. She then changed her mind and walked faster, so she could be completely beside him, not ahead, and not behind. Like equals.

Although the man was easily three times the size of his daughter.

What does father want with me? She questioned herself nervously.

They entered a Japanese-inn-style room with pillows laid out across the wall. There were ten of the Hyuuga council members, each sitting on one of the pillows. There were two big buff men and one tiny one between them, hands bound in handcuffs that contained sealing formulas and head-to-toe to iron dining chairs. These three hostages were covered in all but their bare foreheads.

_Oh da-te-ba-yo_. This can't be what she was thinking.

But there were no branch members in here.

_Nono. __**No**_. And yet Hinata felt an ominous hand placed on her left shoulder and nudge her towards the center, a foot away from the men. She looked up towards her father in confusion, but the man merely handed her the Nazi symbol scroll, a bit too forcefully shoved into her hands.

Hinata gulped inwardly and unrolled the parchment, robotically reading and analyzing the coded steps and hand seals for the hidden jutsu, translating each symbol by a key that was passed down orally only through the main branch family. It only took ten seconds before she mastered the whole thing without even testing the technique. For once she wished she wasn't a prodigy, because what she learned, would forever make her a slave holder.

Her face paled.

The hostages tried to squirm.

But there was no way out for any of them.


	5. Chapter 5

"Stand back and watch carefully, Hyuuga Heiress. Activate your Byakugan and do not miss a detail," the snide old man who was supposed to be her grandfather ordered.

Hinata shut her eyes tightly and veins of stress crawled through her temples. Her lids opened to a perfect three thousand sixty degree x-ray vision. There was no blind spot. _I can't do this._

She watched her grandfather move his hand into a Bird seal, and a thousand more classified hand signals, five seconds at a time. She watched him slap his palm against a forehead of one of the buffer men, watched him scream and cry out in agony. The chair would have shaken but precautions made it iron and the scream dragged on for what felt like hours until one of the elders smacked the back of the prisoner's head and knocked him unconscious. Two men lifted the iron chair and carried him out.

Now it was her turn.

But the second man sat straight. He heard the screams and knew they were Hyuuga and that they were going to use the servitude seal on him. "Hu-Hyuuga-sama," He choked out through the bondage. "I gotta wife and two kiddies at home—" He started, and Hinata had frozen.

Everyone was watching her.

"My gramma's counting on me to live," muffled he.

_Don't panic don't panic don't panic don't don't don't think of Naruto Naruto Naruto Not the Seal Not Neji Not Neji Not Hanabi Not **JUST DON'T THINK**!_

"They got no food no money so plea-" _Slap._ The man recoiled from the overpowered stinging pain on his cheek. It was beginning to numb and the natural flow of chakra avoided his face.

Meanwhile, all of Hinata's thoughts vanished and she steadied herself, moving her hands into a Bird seal, and then a series of complex, unorthodox hand signals that stretched and strained her fingers, nearly tearing one of her tendons, a hundred within a second. She could feel the buildup of her sadness, hatred, anger, fear, and depression amplifying through each seal—but it could've been just chakra.

She could feel the chain of power building up in her right hand as she slammed the lower part of her palm into the large canvas-like forehead.

All that evil chakra rushed out her body, like passing all her burdens onto someone else and all the problems in the world vanishing. And Hyuuga Hinata felt _good_.

She cracked a smile.

**"**Ah-haha,**"** The milk-eyed girl laughed **"**Hahahaha,**"**


	6. Chapter 6

Everyone in the family room was paralyzed in trepidation, except for her father, who had a calculating glint in his eye.

_She's come a long way_, Hiashi thought darkly.

They couldn't believe their little girl slapped the "bad guy," much less have the guts to go through with the sealing process. There was one more prisoner to be "caged," wrapped in sealing bandages head to toe except that bare patch of forehead.

"Proceed with the last—"

But their clan heir had already twirled around, hands flashing into seals that were half the number indicated in a forth of the time. She all-too-intently slammed her lower left palm into the third prisoner's forehead, ramming the stupefied hostage's head back against the chair.

Hiashi turned his face away.

The seal spread into the roots of the brain, coiling around non-lethal neurons, veins connecting to eyes, and wrapping the entire organ under its clench and sending a painful shock of fuuinjutsu binding servitude to the main branch for life, green marking contrasting powerfully against dying skin cells.

That woke her up.

Yes, _her_.

The familiar scream vibrating from the girl's small body shook Hinata to the core.

She reached forward to tear off the bandages, but was suddenly held back by four jounin-level Hyuuga.

Not that that stopped her.

Hinata spun around, doing an eight trigrams vacuum palm rotation that would have impressed them if they weren't the ones being blasted off. She flickered forward and ripped off the bandages to expose the bleeding cheeks and crying pearl eyes of none other than her own sister.

_Hanabi. _

It took a second before the implications struck.

_OhmygodwhathaveIdone! _

Hinata backed away, her byakugan activating in terror as stress lines bulged the veins in her temples, her hands trembling as they grasped the door, security seals slithering away upon identity verification.

_"Onee-san," A weak, shaky voice. _

_"It's okay. It's okay." Pause. _

_ "It doesn't hurt." Lie. _

_"We're still sisters." Hesitate. _

_But none of that mattered. _

_Because she had enslaved her own sister._

_For the clan. _

Her grasp kept slipping off until she forcefully elbowed the door down and bolted for it. She charged straight through the front gates and escaped into the heart of the village, but even in Hidden Leaf she was being examined for mistakes.

She forced some gentle-fist chakra into her limbs and each foot shot her forward two meters. And the first sign of emotion emerged when she zoomed past the outskirts into the Land of Fire's forests, Uchiha compound her father always pointed out going unnoticed.

Droplets of tears flew behind as Hinata's eyes were nailed shut.

_Crash_.

Apparently someone had the terrible luck to get barraged into full force.

A kid only a few years older slammed painfully onto the floor as the force swiped his body a good five meters backwards, and upon realizing she wasn't alone, she stopped crying upon ingrained reflex and activated her Byakugan to read the Uchiha chakra of an activating Sharingan.

Blinking twice, she realized she was straddling the cracked ribs of a badly injured body.

Oops.

Before she could move, two hands reached for her shoulders and pushed her off. She fell off onto her back and sat between the older boy's legs as he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

They sat staring each other down, sharing equal expressions of blankness.

She with tear lines on their cheeks from crying, he one had matching lines because he was born with them.

"Itachi," he grunted quietly, his breath only a foot apart. "Uchiha."

And then he convulsed, puked blood onto her unsuspecting face and promptly passed out.


	7. Chapter 7

Hinata sat there stunned at the 12 year old boy lying vulnerable beside her. Being the only human, who was conscious, Hinata allowed herself to resume crying just to get her tears out of her system. It wouldn't do to stand before her father in a trembling mess when she returned.

The splash of blood on her face trailed down her chin under her shirt past her chest, but now that that was over with, her Clan Heir instincts kicked back in, because she had more important matters to think about.

_Like how to take advantage of this scenario in a way that benefits the clan._

This person was her rival clan's heir and a prodigy leagues better than her. Or was he really? He was currently a chuunin, maybe already ANBU, while she was an academy student. But she could easily graduate right now if she wanted to, although that would separate her from Naruto and set her on a genin squad devoid of Naruto. No, that will not do.

Besides, Itachi was five years older. What was she doing comparing herself against him?

What would Hiashi want?

She remembered him pacing back and forth, ranting off on stuff about the Council in front of her…a derailment during one of his lessons on clan politics.

_Council's considering recruiting him for ANBU. Once he gets in, those cursed redeyes will bump him up to Captain. At this rate they'll have more sway over shinobi matters and a chunk of our clan will be sent on high fatality rate missions. That damned weasel needs to die. His second born, however, is more servile-Hinata why aren't you up there counterbalancing his power?_

And to think this boy was the weasel father detested.

The idea of simply killing him and erasing all traces of his corpse flitted through her head before she shook it off. It was completely illogical and would direct suspicion upon her clan. It would reduce shinobi power and cause problems for Konoha.

Besides, it wasn't like she had the heart to do it, right?

Hinata bit her lip. She spent too much time theorizing hypotheticals and zero time acting.

She stood up and lifted the boy's larger body over her back, supporting his head on her shoulder and augmenting her walk back home. Unbeknownst to her, she was carrying Itachi the same way he usually carried Sasuke.

Normally, she would go to her compound, but the Uchiha were closer. And it was kinda her fault Itachi was in this state, so she made her way there instead.

She entered the entrance gate which was inscribed blatantly with Uchiha crests, and was stopped by a gate guard that realized too late an intruder had bypassed the front. But one look at her identity and who she was carrying, the man waved her past and sent someone wearing the Military Police Uniform to escort them.

He offered to take Itachi but Hinata instantly shook her head 'no.'

The man looked pissed but otherwise said nothing and marched ahead, supposedly to Itachi's home. Perhaps he had caught on.

Hinata trudged slowly, the weight starting to strain her muscles, as she carried an unconscious Itachi through the crowd past the stares of a few dozen Uchiha who decided to come out and stare.

_Well, this means father is bound to hear about this by the time I'm home_, Hinata thought dryly.

She was used to lots of gaping, being future-clan-leader and all. So she went on, trying to straighten her back a bit more while passing a few blocks. She stopped before Itachi's building where the Uchiha-police-dude was waiting. He knocked on the door.

_Fugaku Uchiha totally owes me for rescuing his big son. If I develop a hunchback from this, father's going to kill me_, she thought sardonically. _Or maybe he won't, since I forced some reverence out of them for this. _

_Speaking of which, that caged bird seal. Did father set it up so that I would be the one to seal my sister? _

She clenched her fists onto Itachi a little tighter as the door slammed hotly open to reveal Fugaku Uchiha and Mikoto right behind him.

There was also a boy her age holding tightly onto the woman's leg. He abruptly released it to point at her accusingly. "IT'S YOU!"

And then he froze, blinked, blinked again, and moved that finger to touch Itachi's face. "WAAAH?"

_So much for describing Sasuke as servile, otou-san_.

Fugaku came to his bearings and sighed. "Call a medic over," he commanded, and waved her in.

Couple minutes later, Itachi was set carefully on the floor with a iryo-nin tending his wounds while Hinata was sitting at a flat square dinner table right beside Sasuke and across from Fugaku. He reminded her deeply of Hiashi, and she inwardly shuddered, looking carefully at her rice. Sasuke was completely quiet and tried to shrink into his lack of presence.

All this was stressing her out.

"Hyuuga-san," Fugaku began awkwardly, more so than when dealing with Sasuke. He cleared his throat. "How is your father?"

"H-He," Hinata shivered. "He is doing well."

She didn't know what set him off, but at that Fugaku slammed the table and activated his Sharingan, glaring into her eyes.

"Did Hiashi-san put you up to this?"

"FUGAKU—" Mikoto grabbed his arm. "She's just a child!"

Fugaku broke his gaze to glare at his wife. That was enough preparation for Hinata to get her own Byakugan out to resist any genjutsu compulsions.

Turning on her useful charm, she mustered the cutest glare she could at Fugaku, frowning her lips just like her father did. It was adorable and alarming at the same time.

She decided to deign herself to Sasuke's level, pointing a finger at the injured boy. "I saved Itachi-chan." She stated bluntly and placed her little hands on her hips.

Fugaku looked surprised and peeved at the honorific, but Mikoto simply stepped around the table to pull Hinata into a hug. "Thank you for saving our son, Hinata-chan."

That led him to clear his throat and nod. "Indeed." _She's just a kid like Sasuke…But a dangerous one…_ "Tell your father he has my regards." A pause. "You as well, Hinata-san."

Sasuke was staring back and forth between them with wide eyes. He didn't receive much attention or training to comprehend subtle diplomacy, but he did understand Hinata rescued his revered Itachi. That makes Hinata awesome! So Sasuke could only blush and smile when he felt Hinata place her hand atop his head and ruffle his black hair in an attempt to reassure him, even if they were the same height and age.

But this boy reminded her of someone else, and Hinata wasn't smiling. What if she comforted _him _just like this? Golden locks and tortured blue eyes of the village pariah.

She didn't need a special circumstance to comfort him…

Hinata's blank eyes glazed over as she thought about Naruto. That failure who was never put down no matter what he faced. It had to have been a few days since she last saw him…No wonder she felt so hopeless.

She didn't notice until it happened when two fingers reached to poke her forehead and flick her head back.

Itachi had gotten behind Sasuke and reached over the boy while Hinata was daydreaming.

She pouted but the weasel had simply smiled. "So you're Hinata? May I escort you home?"

Hinata shook her head quickly, frowning like Hiashi. What the hell? She cursed her sister and now she's playing with the Uchiha? Hinata stood up suddenly and stormed out of the compound.

Imagine what Hanabi would think when she sees her at the door with Itachi?

Her bangs fell over her eyes as she paced home at the midst of the night, but not before slowing down at the Nine Tails run-down apartment building.

Maybe I should…do something for myself…for once.

Tomorrow she would request a day off from her father. She deserved it. And he wouldn't say no when she'd proven herself so many times, especially this time.

Maybe then she could set up the right circumstances to face the boy who _intrigued_ her so much.

She thought of the disapproval from her father and the clan and allowed a dark chuckle. **_You have no right to question my source of entertainment after what you put me through._**


	8. Chapter 8

"Where have you been?!" Hiashi all but roared at her unaffected face. It was one of those rare times Hinata saw her father so expressive. They were eating dinner alone.

So she simply closed her eyes and answered, "Earning a favor from the rival dojutsu clan."

That relaxed his face and he stood a little taller. "So it was true. Recount the events."

So Hinata explained everything from "rescuing" Itachi and having dinner with the clan head but discussing nothing more worthwhile than his well-being.

She also added that it was her fault Itachi was knocked out but she was so meek and quiet that no one pointed it out on her.

Meanwhile, Hiashi hand his hand on his invisible beard and thinking things out. After a few minutes, Hiashi was impressed that Hinata was still waiting patiently. He let the bomb drop.

"I want you to get as close as you can to Itachi."

Hinata's byakugan widened but Hiashi began pacing slowly, further elaborating. "I believe Itachi will be one of the future Hokage candidates. One of our branch members within the Hokage's ANBU circle confirmed that he will be recruited for ANBU under captain Kakashi and trained on the side for the role." Hiashi's fist slammed the table. "You know what that means. At this rate we will be slaves to Fugaku as well. If only you were born a few years older."

Hinata was quietly fuming on the inside, but she kept a careful stoic face. And Hiashi tried but failed to get a good read on her expression. He took a seat in front of her. "Arrests of our allies have increased. I will be attempting to lower the rights of the Police Force, perhaps even their council. They've abused their power long enough."

He stood up to leave. "If you manage to form a permanent and secure alliance with their future clan head, that would be best for everyone in Konoha. If not, the intel you gather would be sufficient. Do not disappoint me, Hinata. Also, you may take the next week off to review our jutsu among other necessary politics for future clan rule. I have submitted the necessary absence forms. I expect you to be able to take on one of our branch jounin in a fair fight." He allowed a smile and exited.

Activating her byakugan to make sure he really was gone, Hinata exhaled and the tension left her skin. Father really was scary. But the trick was to not speak and wait until he finishes what he has to say. And if he wants input, he'd stay and wait. If he didn't, he'd leave like right now.

There was nothing to say. But a tingling feeling at the back of her mind protested. Was it really right to exploit another shinobi's emotions for the sake of politics? Naruto wouldn't do that. He was honest and sincere and direct, and manages to pull through despite so.

But Hinata wasn't strong like that. In a shinobi fight, she wouldn't overpower her opponent fair and square. She lied in deception. Would she act like that towards Hanabi?

Was that the true reason Hiashi gave her a week off? To reconcile with her sister?

Hinata flicked her hand in a special Hyuuga seal and a branch member appeared crouched before her, loyal as ever. She activated her eyes for lie detection, though it was unnecessary. "Where is Hanabi?"

The man staggered but quickly recomposed himself and answered, "Hinata-sama, could you please wait until-"

But girl's hand slowly shaped into a threatening punishment seal, and he instantly gasped out. "She's in the retaining cell underground at the back of the compound where all newly sealed branch members are kept until disciplined."

But Hinata was gone before he finished.


	9. Chapter 9

When Hanabi had a cursed seal implanted into her brain, her first reaction was to scream. Too bad she was bonded top to bottom and nearly suffocating.

At first she couldn't believe what was happening to her. She was the potential successor of the clan leader, her entire life spoiled with luxury, expensive tea, and the utmost respect one could give to a princess.

* * *

><p><em>Until Hinata stole all the attention.<em>

* * *

><p>At first it started small, and Hanabi attributed it to her own screwups and a few flukes. But Hinata had started taking her training seriously, and not just training but clan politics too. Hinata had requested to attend every council meeting, and stood behind her father's side, watching quietly with those all-seeing eyes of hers. The eyes that stopped showing fear, gentleness, or any emotion at all.<p>

Hanabi had never requested that; she was young and naive. What could possibly be so interesting about old goons sitting in a tight room arguing? She never knew how necessary it was. How if Hanabi had tried harder, or even if Hinata had remained weak and timid, that she wouldn't receive this cursed seal, that she'd be the clan heir. But by that time it was too late.

Those elders had taken a liking to Hinata. The quiet one who revealed nothing but sound judgment at the correct intervals. The one whose ideas everyone accepted obsequiously. She knew Hinata gave comments she personally did not agree with, only to gain approval points. By the time Hanabi had caught up in prowess by sheer willpower, Hinata was already everyone's favorite.

When the council elders started coming over for Hinata's birthday, and not a single one for Hanabi's, she knew her fate was sealed.

She didn't actually think they'd continue the Caged Bird Seal tradition, though. Turns out it wasn't a tradition, it was the law. And Neji, who was quite young himself, should've been an example enough to foreshadow her fate.

Hanabi resigned herself. It was only natural for the firstborn of the Hyuuga's leader to be a once-in-a-generation genius, Even the Uchiha had one of their own.

Hanabi couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy for Sasuke, who would no doubt live a better life than she'd ever get because she was the one with her clan expectations solidified by a mere seal. Sasuke, along with Itachi, was, according to her father, someone very important to get close to in order to prevent a civil war in Leaf. _Whatever the hell that means_. It doesn't matter now. That was when she was too young to comprehend things and too strong in comparison to her older sister. Those times are long gone.

Because Hinata would always hate her just like how uncle hated father. Because Hinata would treat her like a servant or worse, ignore her for the rest of her life because she was a bad reminder of their past.

It's been how many hours, how many days in this confined room?

Hanabi stared blankly at the wall and liquid veiled up in her milky eyes.

She made no expression as waterfalls streaked down her face.

Then the door knocked, indicating a visitor.

Hanabi looked up, hoping it was who she thought it was, but...

..

It was Neji.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

To her absolute relief, signs indicated her little sister was not being chained against a jail cell tortured out her wits and brainwashed.

The fact that the clan heir considered this a possibility says a lot.

Hinata smiled in relief as she headed down the dungeon corridors, which were actually clean walls and streaky floor tiles. Each room she passed was a guest room or a bedroom and she'd even passed a kitchen where they cooked multi-served portions of food. Housewives were rare in the branch families. Every person, male or female, with the byakugan was used for combat purposes or special missions decked out by the Main House. The council had authority in deciding whether a branch member were to accept or decline a mission. The only exception to this rule were the genin under an authoritative Jounin-sensei.

This was why the Hyuuga held so much power in influencing the Hokage's decisions.

Hinata smiled, knowing that power would be hers in the future.

And she'd be a Hokage candidate.

That was too far off in the future. Right now she had immediate matters to deal with now. But when Hinata reached cell #22, she hesitated at the door.

What should she say to her? How should she act? Should she show her how she's feeling or should she put on the mask she reserved for the adults? Hinata trembled, but forced herself to push open the door.

What was there she didn't expect.

Hanabi was laughing with Neji. Her little sister was laughing with the boy who hated her.

Her little sister was_ laughing_. She'd _never_ laughed before, she, she...How? It was impossible. She'd never been this happy.

Neji had a smug, almost satisfied smirk on his face. He was sat on his knees facing Hanabi, and facing Hinata's direction.

Neji wasn't wearing bandages on his head. His caged bird seal stood prominently on his forehead, his seal matching the one she gave her little sister.

Suddenly, Hinata's blood went cold at the implications.

Slowly, Neji's head raised. Those white eyes landed onto the large crack at the door, onto Hinata's shaking form.

Neji let out a low, almost sadistic chuckle.

He reached over to Hanabi, and ruffled her hair almost fondly. _An action Hinata had stopped doing years ago_.

His eyes were on Hinata's frozen form, on the face that lost all color, on eyes that revealed so much fear and sadness and agony. He watched her legs tremble and felt a sinister glee that branch member had_ something_ over the main house.

He always hated that Hinata was stronger than him, but look what that did for him.

Neji gained a new sister.

None other than the one _she_ lost.

Perhaps **fate** wasn't as cruel as he thought, or better yet, it was cruel. Very cruel.

For good measure, he pulled Hanabi into a tight hug before she could turn to see who was standing at the door.

But that was it: the Hyuuga Heir vanished in the jounin-level body flicker technique. A soundless one that left no trace of her presence.


	10. Chapter 10

**Tobi: I originally put this with the previous chapter but I didn't think it fit together so...Here! *Shoves this thing at you***

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

_It was time for her to move on._

_If love and affection could make her feel this way, she'd rather kill her feelings. _

_But she knew she couldn't. She was emotionally shackled to her sister, to that blonde kid she admired, and probably even to that Uchiha heir who she could understand so very well as they were in the same political position... _

_And nothing could break her free. _

_Funny that she could swear she was more caged than a branch member. _

_Hinata smiled..She deserved this..for thinking she could have happiness_.

At this moment Hinata no longer cared what others would think.

As she stood before the door of a run-down apartment building in the ghetto, she raised her fist and knocked three times. Hearing the fastest thumps of running, she tensed her feet, ready to take off. Ready to run away. Can't believe she's actually doing this.

But when the door opened, she tackled the Kyuubi container to the floor and sobbed.

"WaAH?! Can't-breathe! You're-You'ree-"_ Choking me._

"Hinata." The girl trembled in the deadlock hug she was giving the blonde cushion on the floor. "Hyuuga Hinata."

Recognition dawned in his face as he realized that was his classmate and not someone totally dangerous. Naruto tried to remove himself from the vice-like grip, but gave up after two seconds. Because hugs meant friendship and Naruto always wanted a friend! But why was this girl crying? Was it because everyone hated him and she hated him but she wanted to be his friend but she hated him like everyone else and that was making her cry? Naruto's head buzzed and his eyes formed into question marks. This was all so confusing! He rubbed at his head trying to make sense of all this but realized that girl clinging atop of him was still crying so he moved his hands to work on her head and began scuffling at her head instead of his and realized that might be hurting her because hair was coming out and was she-was she-red? She was redder than Naruto even though he was the one being choked! Naruto quickly pushed her off and grabbed her hand- Naruto pulled her to the couch and pushed her butt down onto the couch.

She was frozen stock still.

Okay! That meant his new friend wouldn't be leaving. Naruto shot her a suspicious look before opening a ramen cup and boiling a big pot of hot water. (It was big because he was going to share and he was going to eat extra to celebrate his first friend.) He tapped his foot before bouncing on feet to feet. Hurry up water! Boil! Boil! Boil!

"BOIL! BOIL! BOIL!"

But then the pot's lid opened and expensive and fresh vegetables were dumped into the pot. Naruto spun to point accusingly at Hinata who had left the couch and was currently removing groceries off a little plastic bag she brought with her-_Where did that come from?_

Half an hour later they were sitting on stools at the corner of a kitchen table with all the trash shoved aside or to the floor. The meal that matched the one Hinata was normally served each day at home, but with extra aristocratic food.

Naruto had the most fulfilling meal his entire life. He even had _lobster_!

The ramen laid forgotten.

His stomach protruded as he sighed blissfully. Hinata looked surprised and reached over to poke his stomach. Naruto shrieked but that was covered by a burp and he laughed.

Hinata smiled, her shoulders sagging in relief. It had been a long time since she felt so relaxed, all her stresses locked outside the door. There were no consequences of showing her weak side to the one person with zero political influence. For once she was glad Naruto was hated as he was. It meant he was all hers. She still had someone to care about, and this one wouldn't be taken from her. Ever.

* * *

><p>"Friends?"<p>

"Ye_s._"

* * *

><p><strong>Tobi: Sorry I have midterms next week! <strong>


	11. Chapter 11

Hinata wasn't sure how she ended up in the position of sitting on Naruto's bed with Naruto right across from her. But between them were all kinds of action figures Hinata had constructed from chakra.

"Do a Sasuke-teme next!"

_Sasuke? That's easy_. Having met him just days ago, she remembered him as a shy, timid but ambitious boy who desired to prove himself. Much like she used to be. Hinata formed her hands into a cross seal and instantly shifted it into the simplified seals for transform. A doll-sized Sasuke popped out.

"SUUGOOOII! I DON'T WANNA PUNCHBAG IT ANYMORE!" Amazement gleamed in his eyes as he tossed the chakra construct up and down and hugged it tight, jumping around.

Hinata laughed. Then laughed some more. Naruto started making amused noises himself, and before they knew it they were already telling each other about their lives. Most of it came from Naruto, though.

"I always take the long way because there's less people there! Because they hate me," He crossed his arms in a puzzled frown.

"N-Naruto-kun, is that why you always eat ramen? Because Aomine-san doesn't let you buy her groceries?"

"Or anyone else!" Naruto turned it into a rant. "I dunno what I did wrong! Everyone hates me before I started doing awesome pranks and after that they looked less-less like I killed their-frogs but-" He smiled. "Then I met some nice old people like the old man and Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei and you!" His grin almost split his face. "I mean-you're not old, 'ttebayo! But anyways, everyone will acknowledge me once I become Hokage! Dattebayo!"

Hinata didn't respond, only nodding along in contentment with just hearing his enthusiasm. Naruto was obviously an orphan and a hated one at that. She remembered earlier when she poked his extremely full belly before he burped. There were black markings that darkened upon her finger. A seal.

As a member of the Main House, Hinata was very proficient with seals, especially containment seals, designed to restrain chakra and cause physical or spiritual torture. From the glimpse she got of Naruto's, it was similar to that of the storage scrolls and a few of the kanji matched some of those symbols condensed into a green X and exposed nothing of the seal's properties, which made it impossible for the seal to break. Better men than the Hokage have tried and failed.

Regardless, it confirmed her father's confirmation about Naruto's fox. The problem was...Should she tell him?

No, or at least not yet. It would gain nothing for the Hyuuga and this boy didn't even know how to seal a kunai...he was completely open and vulnerable...which could also mean...

"Hina-chan? Hina-chan? Hina-"

"Naruto-kun." Hinata shut him up. "I know how to make people acknowledge you before that." She raised a hand to stop a gaping Naruto from interrupting her.

"You're a very good boy. You're honest and kind, and you never go back on your word even when things look impossible. You always get back up after being knocked down. You're the type to stand up for the weak too."

At this point Hinata was pulling out her clan successor charisma, and she doubted she could've manipulated her words so well if she hadn't participated in the council meetings with the eventual approval of the clan elders. "That's why I've always watched you, from the beginning, always wanting to be close to you, but never finding the courage to face you."

Hinata looked down, her cheeks reddened. This time she wasn't faking it. Her last line lost the flowing eloquence in her speech, but it won him over nonetheless. "W-We're finally together."

Naruto was motionless in shock and disbelief. His breath had stopped too.

Hinata waited patiently for him to digest her words. But that was short-lived because two minutes flew by and her eyebrow twitched. Reaching over to grip his shoulders, Hinata shook him out of his trance only to feel orange-clad arms wrap around her tight and a sobbing mess on her shoulder.

This felt eerily like from before with reversed positions.

Well, she could tell the boy desperately sought companionship and she wasn't going to deny him, and it fit into her future plans anyway, so Inner Hinata shouted Go Wild and she slid her hands behind the blonde's back and pushed him tight against her chest, stroking his back and the back of his head at the right intervals just as her mother had taught her.

It worked wonders.

Naruto had melted in her arms and fifteen minutes of that-wait what?

Hinata groaned, blinking groggily the sleep from her eyes. Daylight was flowing through the window and Hinata realized with shock that they'd fallen asleep together like little kids going to sleep in the middle of playtime. Wtf?

She spared a glance at her locations and watched Naruto sleeping soundly hugging her leg tightly. Hinata shook his stupid face awake.

"Wh-Wh?" The Kyuubi boy woke up and jumped and shouted, but then he realized who she was and relaxed. Then he tensed up immediately and his face went red. "You slept with me?!"

Hinata resisted the urge to facepalm.


	12. Chapter 12

As Hinata stood at the exit, Naruto waved wistfully, tears popping out of his eyes almost comically-because it was like waking from a really good dream!

But Hinata smiled, gestured Naruto over, and..._poked his forehead, _exactly the way _that man_ did. And a little too hard; it landed him on his butt. Whoops?

"Well...Bye-bye!" She turned around, returning a wave of her hand as she departed with her hands in her pockets. "Don't forget," she added as an after-note, "we meet next week."

* * *

><p>うずまきナルト<p>

* * *

><p>"Itachi-chaaaan!"<p>

Itachi turned around, his guard down at the intimate suffix only Shisui used, but instantly recoiled too late as a 4-feet-tall girl barraged into his lower form, his hips buckled too tightly as he was tackled to the floor. Paying no mind to the crowd surrounding the Mission Assignment building.

"H-..Hinata-san?" Itachi managed to cough out, his muscles relaxing as he attempted to remove person's vice-like hug..to no avail. "Please refrain from doing that."

At her watery eyes, Itachi awkwardly explained. "You might activate my ingrained shinobi instincts and get seriously injured or worse."

He was obviously grasping at strings, but Hinata smiled softly. "Yep, it _would_ look bad for us if Uchiha's prodigy one-upped Hyuuga's prodigy, but not for _you_." Her smile widened and her tone gained a playful crack. "Not that it's guaranteed you can inflict much damage. I'm almost jounin-in skill."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. He imagined someone of Sasuke's age keeping up with him. Was this how the older shinobi felt about him? He spared another deep look at Hinata, and noticed those mirthful eyes weren't really there, and that childish demeanor wasn't really as deep as his little brother's.

Moments ago he had thought the Hyuuga girl was openly emotional, but it seemed she was _acting_. If that's the game she was playing at, Itachi had no problem playing along.

He faked a smile, "Is that so? Then it should be no problem for you to hold on...Perhaps we could even be _friends_."

Before Hinata could open her mouth, Itachi vanished in a body flicker...ever before she could get a tighter grip or release him.

* * *

><p>日<p>

* * *

><p>Poof.<p>

Hinata's hair was frizzled and her byakugan was wide and activated, her legs locked with his, fingers digging into the older boy like a lifeline, drawing blood onto her knuckles. She was shaking and placid.

Itachi frowned. He intended a reaction like that, but not to this extent, and they were too close and he was bleeding.

Suddenly, the girl in question released the grip on his back and fell backwards against the forest floor. "Saaah, this feels nice!" Her head tilted further back to just barely see part of the flow of the Naka river. "Is this your favorite place-or something?"

The Uchiha boy was taken aback by her sudden change in attitude, even though it was clearly false. He ignored the query. "I'm impressed you didn't fall along the way." He smirked and sat down, crossing his legs. "Now, my little_ friend_, we have much to discuss."

Hinata sat up, alarmed, byakugan still activated, glad she'd done so beforehand. She hesitated. "Are you questioning why I hugged you in public?"

_..._ "Yes."

"Dad said so."

Itachi sat silently. Comprehension dawned on his face. He tried. "Otou-san also wanted me to get along with you. He plans for a political marriage. And that is okay with you?"

"Yep!"

Itachi sighed. "You're still a child."

Hinata's face turned serious. "Do you really want a war to break out?"

Itachi stilled. There'd been hints of it in the clan, but nothing decided. Just who is this child?

"The Military Police had been increasing arrests of the Hyuuga and their allies and the Hokage has done nothing to rebuke. Did you really think father would sit back and let you guys step all over him, or try to decrease the extent? Direct action to has led to decreased arrests, your clan no longer has voice in the Konoha Council, but at what price?" Hinata was bluffing for information. She analyzed his stoic face breaking, not missing a single detail, but there was no need.

"I suspect we're planning a coup," he confessed. He stammered. "So that's your plan...A secure alliance and the potential influence for both parties."

At Hinata's nod, Itachi thought over his plans. It was still early. He could still snuff out their tensions. Perhaps this was the path to the least violence. But it sounded too good to be true-what would the consequences be? Nonetheless, he'd make sure neither one took over the other. "I will speak with my father-in a circuitous way," he reassured her. "Actually, why don't you come over?"

"Yaay!" Hinata cheered uncharacteristically. "So is this where we meet secretly? SO COOL!" _Who'd have thought all this Naruto-watching would pay off in the end...Not that it would work when I'm older..unless I henge._

Perturbed, Itachi took Hinata's hand and pulled her along to the compound.

* * *

><p>日<p>

* * *

><p>"Hi, Sasuke!" Hinata had to force a smile, because this was no Naruto. "Check out these eyes!" <em>Byakugan!<em> With that, Hinata proceeded to lip-read Fugaku and Itachi's discussion a room away from them, not that anyone realized it.

Innocent Sasuke stared impressed. Nothing much changed aside from the tightening of her temples. "Wait 'til I get MY Sharingan!" He suddenly looked crestfallen.

"Eh? What's wrong?" _..._ "You can tell me, we're_ best friends_."

_Hesitate_. "And we're the same age."

_Oh_. "Red eyes are harder to get than white eyes, but that also means they're stronger."

"Really?! Just you wait! I'll be as strong as nii-san!"

He was too easy. Scratch that, Sasuke reminded her of Naruto. He wanted attention in the same way, just to a less extent. Hinata allowed a genuine laugh. "I'm sure you will," she replied easily, and ruffled his hair, earning a pout that unwillingly transfigured into a grin.

"One day I'll be your-older-sister." His black eyes widened and Hinata affirmed it. "You should start calling me Onee-chan, for practice."

"But nee-san is easier."

"Well, sure!"

* * *

><p>日<p>

* * *

><p>"The village does have its dark side and its inconsistencies, but we're still Konoha's Uchiha. Fugaku has agreed this will be the best course for our clans, and we will be making the announcement tomorrow."<p>

_As robotic as ever...Is it just me or does Itachi look more relaxed?_

"Y-You're okay with this?"

"Elated. A nameless shinobi who protects peace within its shadow is a true shinobi. What better fiance than someone like that...someone like you?" He moved his hands around her back and embraced her for a few seconds, whispering a dreadful threat as his hand cupped her ear. "You won't be backing out."

* * *

><p>Somewhere in the dimension, <em>27 hours 36 minutes later<em>, Tobi threw a tantrum. But that was okay,_ Tobi had contingency plans._

* * *

><p><em>Somewhere in Hinata's sanity, a crack formed. It was too small to be noticeable or significant, so don't worry.<em>

* * *

><p>日向<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

Hinata felt his unwelcome hand push the back of her head closer to the weasel. She shuddered in horror as his tongue flicked out and trailed from her neck to her earlobe, his hand stroking circles across her back. _The fuck is he doing?! _

Hinata blushed at her uncharacteristic swear word, an act which did not go unnoticed by Itachi, but apparently it sent him the wrong message. His hand clenched a fistful of her short hair and slammed her mouth into his—or at least, he _almost_ did.

Because Hinata's byakugan activated instantly, and at the same moment she slammed 64-trigrams worth of strength into the weasel's chest. Her fist was still extended when Itachi's back slammed painfully and loudly against the strong back wall of the room, his eyes shutting in reflex.

Her breaths were coming out in short desperate gasps, fuming and furious with throbbing veins burning her temples and cheeks.

All her life, she prided in herself on her ability to read people…but never had she foreseen the Uchiha brat trying to advance on her like this, trying to steal her first kiss…Even if she knew it would be inevitable upon marriage, it felt_ wrong_. She was just a kid, for kami's sake! And—And—Whatever, the point was, it felt _wrong_.

Like she shouldn't be doing this. Even though they both knew she understood Itachi more than anyone else because he was so much similar to herself…And that no one else would ever be…but…that's the thing.

Because Hinata unconsciously hated what she was, she hated how she could so easily manipulate others, and turn so cold-blooded and merciless, how she wasn't honest and innocent as Naruto, how she could control her emotions so easily…and the fact that she even allowed Neji to take her sister…

And to be met with someone so similar to her abhorred self…

_Well_…It was no surprise that this self-hatred would extend towards Itachi.

She had never accepted such a self-abrasive emotion, but from such a simple but symbolic action, Itachi had forced the facts into her face.

And now, she learned that just because you understood every single aspect of someone, just because you're equal to him in strength and mentality and beliefs, _you'll still hate him_ as much as you hate yourself…

Itachi's eyes opened into a 3-tomoe sharingan to capture every detail, and his lips stretched into a smile at the evident confusion on her face dawned into self-realization.

"It seems my suspicions are correct after all," he said huskily.

_You did that to test my reaction?!_ Hinata's glare intensified.

"I wanted to confirm something…You show clear...hatred of me...Yet you are willing to sacrifice the rest of your life to be my lover." Watching Hinata tense, Itachi's face softened.

The Uchiha heir sat up,

"Surely this isn't for your clan...Because at this rate, you'll lose your touch before you even reach adulthood." _By being close to me, you'll snap before you get the chance to take the mantle of the leader. You are the ideal leader the Hyuuga could only dream of, so the losses of this engagement outweigh the gains, and you know it. _"What_ is_ your real reason, Hyuuga girl?" He hissed. _Unlike me, you haven't experienced war, and you aren't a pacifist, so why would you go this far?_

Hinata knew why. It was because of some kid with a nine tailed burden everyone hated. And she was ashamed of it. She sat on her knees, paralyzed in stress. Then her tiny body regained its movement, but it wasn't the confident elegance she normally carried herself with…

She was _trembling_.

In this world, there are only two people who've witnessed her in this pitiful state—Neji from that one time, and now, there's Itachi, from this very moment.

Itachi's sharingan casted a compulsion genjutsu upon Hinata. But it was in vain; her byakugan was just as immune.

But that didn't matter, because Itachi was too perceptive and his words were too well-placed.

"Is it _Naruto_?"

Hinata's head jolted up to glare into his demonic eyes, and each realized the other knew;

_If a war breaks out between Uchiha and Konoha, he'll most certainly be caught in between it. He'll be used as a tailed beast weapon…under the control of either Konoha's Council, or the Uchiha's sharingan. He'd be lucky if his death was quick. But through a permanent alliance, none of that will happen. _

Itachi let out a deep, throaty laugh, and suddenly the collar of Hinata's hoodie was grabbed as she was dragged close.

"IF ONLY YOU LOVED SASUKE INSTEAD," he laughed insanely. "HALF MY PROBLEMS WOULD BE FIXED INSTANTLY."

_A confession_. Even as Hinata felt stripped bare of her mask, thoughts were drill sifting through her head. Did he mean….the way she felt about Naruto….Itachi felt the same about Sasuke?

But Hinata refused to take his nonsense. She grabbed his fist and tore his hand off her collar, squeezing it with all her strength and snapping some bones. "Y-You understand nothing, I-ItaCHI!" She glowered.

He only laughed harder. "The way you stare at him matches the way I see my brother. Hinata! Your feelings aren't romantic!"

Hinata's face went red in anger. _You watched me watch him during those times you picked up Sasuke at the Academy?! _

"You're wrong! They are! How do you know yours aren't?!" She raised a jyuuken-enhanced fist and thrust it towards his face, but he moved his head to the side, dodging by a hair's breadth.

Itachi growled.

"I have never felt sexual or romantic attraction towards Sasuke, and neither have you towards Naruto."

"T-That has nothing to do with—"

"EXTREME AS IT MAY BE, YOUR INFATUATION TOWARDS NARUTO IS MERELY PLATONIC! JUST AS MINE IS!" _You may be incapable of devoting yourself to me, but there's still Sasuke. _

That was enough. Hinata's short hair flew about demonically as an ominous burst of killing intent compressed in the room, choking Itachi, although he didn't allow any discomfort to show.

Hinata's eyes glowed white, ferocious moons contemplating divine judgment.

_Gentle step, twin lion fists. _

It was a simplified version of its potential, yet there was so much chakra in her hands that pulling them back into her system would drain her out, and he didn't deserve her mercy…

She was a taijutsu specialist, speed was her forte…

And they were only inches apart.

So she attacked.

Maybe he'd have stood a chance if he achieved the Mangekyou Sharingan, but he didn't, and any copied techniques his standard sharingan had were preemptively stopped by the speed he couldn't physically keep up with.

With that, the body of Uchiha Itachi slammed through several compound walls as he flew through two streets and crashed near the compound entrance.

He survived, though.

Itachi was resilient like that.

Although it was his first near death experience within Konoha walls. He landed in the Konoha hospital with two broken arms, six broken ribs, and a number of organs ruptured.

When either of them was later questioned about it, they simply shrugged it off as a "lovers' quarrel."

Since Hinata visited the bedridden Itachi_ almost_ everyday until he was let out, by the urging of Hiashi and Fugaku combined (they wanted her to keep up appearances,) everyone else figured that they were just freaks like every other shinobi was.

* * *

><p>日<p>

* * *

><p>Somewhere in this dimension, <em>48 hours 15 minutes later<em>, Shimura Danzo uncharacteristically threw a tantrum, _because_ _injured weasels can't slaughter clans_, and by the time he's fully recovered, the Hyuuga would've exalted the Uchiha's status in society. His empty eye socket twitched as he rubbed his clean arm. He was a suspicious man and held absolutely no trust for Madara's clan.

* * *

><p>日<p>

* * *

><p>In another dimension, <em>Tobi was nowhere to be found.<em>

* * *

><p>日<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

白日

* * *

><p><em>Gentle Step, Twin Lion Fists<em>

_The Jūho Sōshiken is a high-level secret Gentle Fist technique taught only to the main branch of the Hyūga clan. _

_The user changes the shape of chakra released from both hands into large guardian lion-shaped shrouds. Doing so greatly increases range and destructive power. The lion heads drain the chakra network of those they touch. It is an extremely difficult ability to learn, as the slightest mistake in chakra control will lead to failure, meaning it is a feat requiring the Byakugan._

Yet, for the first time in all the recorded history of the generations of Hyuuga, someone learned it before she activated the byakugan, someone none other than their failure.

It was a simple taijutsu fight with Hanabi. As usual, her father was supervising it—in other words, shooting the dirtiest look at Hinata while watching Hanabi with eyes that said "as expected of my daughter." A few elders were there as well. They could be separated into two groups, the ones with their byakugan activated and the ones who did not. The first group, the deactivated byakugan group, were the ones who had doubts about Hiashi's decision to switch the main house's heritage to the second born child, and even after many grueling demonstrations of Hinata's weakness, they still had doubts, because it defied their tradition and blood.

These stubborn traditionalists were the very ones who would later support Hinata through her eventual advancement in clan status.

The spars were meant to be training sessions for the second born. She was only three, yet she always thoroughly shred up Hinata. Not that it was a difficult feat; Hinata cried at the slightest pain, whimpered at the smallest burst of killing intent, shriveled under any fleck of attention, cowed away upon meeting anyone-not anyone outside her family—not only at her father's stern gaze—but _anyone_, sister and servants included. Birds, puppies, and bugs too.

_All lifeforms were out to get her._

The number of traditionalists was large at first, because the clan consensus was to seal everyone's brains at age three; how could _any_ heir not be suited for _his_ role, when raised with such impeccable care and preparation? It certainly worked out ten generations, until Hinata was born. After that, everyone's opinions changed, except a few senile old people with their brains rooted to the old ways. They were so obsessed with this tradition that they completely forgot about the other tradition of said heirs being male only—otherwise, they might have relented, even more so if Hanabi was born a son. But she wasn't, so the sexist thought hadn't crossed their minds. They were definitely growing senile.

But that was just the ones with their eyes off. Now, about the second group, the ones with their eyes turned on...

There wasn't much to say about them. They weren't exactly Hanabi-supporters. The ones who were, knew Hanabi was destined to lead the clan and would no doubt win her daily fight; such people had better things to do than watch their strong heir spank a weakling who couldn't even use her byakugan.

Thus, what comprised of the second group were sadists who just wanted to see Hiashi's spawn beaten and whipped. They were perverts who thrived on Hinata's suffering after a long day of tedious shinobi work. Not that anyone would dare phrase it that way. But you could see them for what they were, activated eyes taking in every detail.

Basically, the entire audience was there for Hinata and no one was really there for Hanabi, except Hiashi, but that was why he missed out.

(This was the true answer to Hiashi's conundrum as to why Hinata always attracted more attention even back when she was weaker than Hanabi. He wrongly assumed they merely had better foresight and saw Hinata for what she was, a genius, even before he did.)

Back to point, that would explain why _no one missed a thing_ when Hinata started making subtle movements of an ancient technique. By then Hinata was bruised all over her body, gagging out blood, clothing in tatters, blood oozing out her skin and bones broken beyond repair. Her hair was a mess and her face was swelling, and she looked ready to spend a week in the hospital. In fact, she could spend it on the floor.

The girl laid sprawled out face-down before a slightly panting Hanabi.

"_Get up_," Hiashi stated coldly.

And miraculously, her corpse twitched.

"_You can still fight_." They could all see that he just wanted to crush every last bit of life she had left. But Hinata's eyes were pressed to the wooden floor, and even if she was inches from his face, she would still soak in the encouragement the same way she would with Naruto's...in a future chuunin exam.

Desperately, she clung to every word, pushing her body up through sheer willpower and tattered limbs. She took a minute to stand up and stumbled, tripped, and slammed to the floor with a loud thump and a louder splash in a pile of her own blood.

"_You are a useless, pathetic wretch. I'm disgusted to have you as my daughter...Thus, from now on you are no longer one of-" _

It all happened in a flash. A blue one.

Hinata's audience gaped.

Hiashi Hyuuga was unlucky to have blinked.

The activated byakugan group of elderly spectators were the only ones who traced the whole event with their eyes. They saw the infectious chakra clogging the tenketsu points suddenly burst free and forced to the ends of her limbs, feet and fists, expelling out of her body. Little glows at her fingertips like a hijacked version of unmistakably the gentle step technique, but that was impossible, Hinata couldn't do even the gentle fist, plus that wasn't possible in her state.

Then her body, moving like a puppet with strings attached to an invisible teleportation spirit, lashed out and burned the entire chakra system of the younger sister, her skin heating up to show for it. She passed out before she hit the ground, at the same time Hinata returned to her previous position.

To everyone else, it looked like the two sisters switched positions. A few seconds, realization dawned and the traditionalists instantly grasped the chance to advocate Hinata despite not tracking the movement.

The sadists who would've normally argued it to be a fluke held their tongues, burning the sight into memory. It was a vivid vision, history changing before their eyes.

Hinata turned to face the only man with a furious gaze in the room. She strained a smile.

_"**Fear is necessary for evolution. The fear that, at any given moment you could perish and vanish from existence. Thank you, father**." __Thanks to your efforts, I've finally risen to an existence that surpasses my older self.  
><em>

She didn't realize she was lying to herself.

Hiashi's eyes widened. Then suddenly words came out naturally, like he had predicted this to happen all along. Perhaps he did. "_You are welcome, my daughter_."

Soon afterwards, everyone always watched Hinata like hawks.

She couldn't see the admiration and awe in their eyes. _She wouldn't let her ego swell._ They were watching for any misstep. _Any excuse to disown her_. And she knew it.

Despite her apparent 180 change in demeanor, Hinata hadn't changed. In fact, her fear only intensified. After that act, Hanabi was bound to retaliate. Hinata knew that when the clan heir turned 3, she was supposed to get a green seal on her forehead. Hanabi was already three. It was only a matter of time.

She sobbed every time she was certain she was by herself. Hinata loved Hanabi and yet..._She feared her own sister. _To be enslaved to this person? Why would she want to bind herself with the devil?

The same night, Hinata requested to attend council meetings with her father. He was only too eager to train her in clan politics before the other elders got to her. They would have suggested a spoils system and they didn't have the insight the direct head of a clan did.

But that wasn't enough to pacify her fear.

In event of the day they tried to force her into their servitude...

Perhaps she should improve that weird attack she did earlier. So she did, trembling under the burden of keeping it a secret. In some ways she was like Neji clandestinely mastering Main House techniques. Without the technique, she flunked every match, yet rapidly improved—years of training condensed in a few hours for a match. It impressed them enough not to seal her fate.

But there was no need. Father showed her the proper way it was done, and the massive size of the dragon fists, and warned her not to try it because of its chakra drain (no one foresaw her using it on a certain someone in the future.) But since he showed her and not Hanabi yet, surely she was still his daughter, right? Right?

Hinata finally let out a held breath when her birthday was so well-received with all of the clan council. She didn't even care that none of her friends came—_she had none_.

**Freedom is a beautiful sight.**

* * *

><p>黑日<p>

* * *

><p>this is a history flashback! I'm looking at chapter 1 and it looks so different!<p>

ㇳ3 Haruko Ai / Cross Marian / E . Knucks / beartes / euroteres ㇳ3:

^^Thanks for the reviews! Tobi feels happy!


	15. Chapter 15

晓

* * *

><p>Fugaku had dashed in and gaped at the sight of damaged property and a missing wall.<p>

Mikoto had flickered in and gasped. Her expression then changed into rage.

Sasuke jerked open the door and screamed.

That was their reactions and after Hinata told the mother that he tried to force a kiss on her, Mikoto's demeanor flipped around and she sided with Hinata. Fugaku relented and Sasuke listened to his mom. They let Hinata go home without commiting any "revenge."

However, it took a hell of diplomacy between both clans for the other members of the Uchiha to relax.

They also got half the number of representatives that the Hyuuga had in Konoha Council. More than most minor clans, and steadily increasing.

Yay for them.

So they once again furiously supported their betrothal. Though now it seemed like they had been faking their anger or something just to gain power.

Hiashi told Hinata that night, "As expected of my daughter," then proceeded to lecture her on how important the Hyuuga clan was, strongest in the village-in all the elemental nations since Konoha was the strongest village, most powerful in politics out of all clans-and they were 100000x better than the Uchiha.

Then he talked about keeping control over the Uchiha to prevent them from taking over the Hyuuga and left to do some thinking because it was all so sudden to him, the betrothal and suddenly a hostile attack on her part, frowning as he said that. He then complained about having to do lots of planning and that Hinata's powerplays will one day be the death of him.

So Hinata showered, shutting out all the branch servants from trying to help her (she really needed her privacy to sulk,) plopped into bed and slept, sneaking a glance at the empty bed at the other side of the room.

No sister to mutter 'good night' to.

* * *

><p>The next day, Hinata skipped the Academy to visit Naruto.<p>

As she opened the apartment door, she suddenly realized Naruto had gone to school.

_This stress is starting to get to me_, she surmised, and went for the hospital instead. She owed the bastard a visit at the least.

* * *

><p>黎明<p>

* * *

><p>Itachi's eyes opened to a blur of the white ceiling, before transfixing onto a small girl with short black hair and white eyes sitting beside his hospital bed.<p>

His heartbeat sped along with his breathing and the pulse alarm that summons nurses started ringing. Hinata smacked it with a blue-aura-coated fist and it broke, quieting down. No one came.

Itachi gulped, which meant he stared blankly into her eyes while his throat constricted minimal movement. He tensed, fingers twisting into a one-handed seal under the covers as he sat himself up.

Hinata either didn't notice that or ignored it. "How are you feeling?" _Are you angry at me? And what will you do about it?  
><em>

Itachi looked thoughtful. But his voice was broken and he rasped out. "I could only speculate how genuine that mask you wear is. Even with the Sharingan, I never predicted this to happen...Why would you risk damaging our clan allegiance?"

Hinata faked a Naruto-grin and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "You love your raven. I love my fox. Dattebayo!"

His eyes narrowed, irritated and put off. "Well, then, Hyuuga. It only says you prioritize matters related to your 'Fox' above the Leaf."

"What? Like you're any different?"

His eyes closed tiredly. "You are correct. It wasn't my intention, nor do I think it was yours, but we learned we have someone we cherish. But one matter remains uncertain, are you truly loyal to Konoha?"

"...Itachi, my clan lives here. Naruto-kun lives here. This is our home and," she frowned, weaving another line of wordplay that she temporary believed as she spoke it, which made lie detection that much difficult, not that she was lying, or was she?

"The only village with the legacy of peace over self-gain. You could see it...The boy has so much chakra and he's living as best a life he could, not being turned into a weapon and attending school like normal children. Even when it would benefit the village to utilize his power... It's this general conscience that keeps him alive...and your brother as well. Isn't that worth protecting?" It was difficult for anyone not to be enchanted by her eloquence, honed years ago by a self-defense mechanism. Her eyes were narrowed onto Itachi, calculating his expressions.

He showed none. Instead he sat sprawled out on the bed in deep contemplation.

Ten minutes of a staring contest flew by before she sighed. Apparently he wasn't going to say anything further, so she stood up and left without a word.

As the door shut, Hinata's eye twitched. _Resist it, that wasn't a good time to punch him. Gotta leave before the hospital staff discover their broken machine. _

So she returned to the clan and took her usual seat in the Hyuuga Council to proceed with the meeting in half an hour. Hinata unrolled a jutsu scroll and began reading, unsealed byakugan decoding.

_It was the B-rank shadow clone technique._

That night Itachi had been talk-no-jutsu'd into trusting her...as much as he trusted Shisui Uchiha.


	16. Chapter 16

Class ended and just yesterday Sandaime-jiji had given him an envelope of his monthly allowance, so Naruto went to buy some rice. But the lady screamed at him to get out, so he did.

Then Naruto went to buy some fruits. But the old man shut the door in his face.

Then Naruto went to buy some paint. The shopkeeper grinned and sold him a large stock in storage scrolls. Though if someone wondered why he was so nice to the demon boy, his sanity could also be called into question for selling paint and prankster materials all day.

But if they looked closely under the rag he used to cover his head, they would see a green marking on his forehead.

* * *

><p>Naruto sighed as he made his way to his dingy apartment, head hung beneath his shoulders. Despite his sunny demeanor, he was usually depressed when he was alone. Unknowingly, he was like Hinata in this aspect.<p>

Speaking of Hinata, Naruto hadn't seen her all week! What the hell? One day she just shows up and cooks him a bunch of food, makes him a bunch of toys, and be friends with him...Naruto never had friends so he believed it to be a dream! As it turns out, it was a dream.

_They always leave him_.

"Y-You know, when y-you'r-re having a g-good dream but awaken before it's finished, you might still be able to continue it if you go back to sleep."

_That voice! _

Naruto looked up and it was Hinata! Hinata always said weird things that sounded smart or cryptic and acts like she didn't know how to talk at first but then learns to talk properly!

Wait did she just read his mind?! Cool!

He'd forgotten about this part but as his wide eyes sucked in the sight of the black-haired girl casually leaning against his door with her arms crossed like a certain teme! They looked awfully similar but Naruto shook his head fast, to dismiss the thought and to make sure this was real-but if it wasn't real he'd regret waking up.

It was real.

"YATTA! I thought you were fake!" In two seconds, Naruto was already running towards her and opening his door and jumping in excitement.

Hinata was a little weirded out at his behavior but reminded herself this was how kids her age acted..._mostly_.

So she smiled. "Didn't I tell you to remember 'we meet next week'?" She sounded amused.

"U-Um oh yeah you did! I knew that!" Naruto awkwardly fumbled with his keys, attempting to open the door when Hinata muttered under her breath.

Her eyes suddenly looked pale and stressed. "N-Naruto, you're _mine_, right?"

If Naruto hadn't been paying absolute attention to her every movement, he might not have heard. He turned to look at her, confused. "What? Of course, you're my friend!"

"You'll _never_ leave me." Serious eyes met his gaze.

"U-Uh," Naruto blushed and rubbed his hands. "I don't think they're gonna lemme in the girls bathroom with you, Hina-chan." Naruto didn't know how to react.

He obviously interpreted whatever she said wrong, but Hinata didn't bother to clarify. Apparently, she changed her mind about it; she shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'm asking too much. I don't d-deserve..." She looked down and hesitated, blood flow reddening her face. "I'll only ask you to remember this."

Her hand reached out and held his shoulder, and they were height-to-height. "Naruto-kun, no matter what happens, whatever things I do, even if you don't see it, it's all for your sake."

His eyes widened and he panicked. Was Hina-chan gonna to do something bad like beat up the villagers? He swallowed and opened his mouth but only gaped.

"I won't see you often because I have a family to take care of."

His mouth shut and a sad look washed over him quick as it came. _Family_.

She must have noticed his expression. "But blood means nothing, Naruto. What if some of those mean people were your parents? Parents are nothing when they hate their children. But me, I am..." Her resolve firmed. "Your family."

She paused, watching a flabbergasted Naruto digest her words.

She smiled. "You don't need anyone else's acknowledgement. Not the villagers or your classmates."

"Wh-Wha-"

"You only need mine."

"H-"

"And you already have it."

She chuckled at his paralyzed form and slowly strided past him, left hand in pocket, the other hand shaping into two fingers that poked his forehead back, snapping him out of his tearful trance.

_Sorry for stealing your trademark poke, Itachi, but there is a difference between us. I'm more selfish. _

"I'll see you soon, Naruto,"

And then she vanished.

Dejectedly, Naruto felt 'soon' wasn't going to be soon at all. It felt like the happiest day of his life, but also the saddest.

* * *

><p>冬<p>

* * *

><p>"I apologize about last night." Itachi looked slightly healthier. Slightly. "You weren't the person I thought you were. But I should have known, people live their lives bound by what they accept as correct-"<p>

"Shut up and let me talk."

"..."

"Last night our council has decided to give your clan the empty compound right beside ours. As a sign of good will, and for our clans to be closer. Surely it isn't fitting for the second strongest clan to be placed on the outskirts of Konoha, away from central matters, don't you think?"

Itachi closed his eyes. "I haven't considered that matter at all. Yet, ever since the Niidaime's reign, we've lived...well then..." He twitched his shoulders slightly. "There is nothing more for me to say. I understand your intention, Hinata."

Hinata stood up and stretched, a popping sound coming from her spine. "S-So anyway, my father's going to meet up with yours to discuss it tonight." She grinned. "You look happy." He did not look happy, but perhaps people who hide their emotions could discern that of others. "Are you happy because it's for your clan, or for Konoha?"

"Both, actually." He allowed a smile; he wasn't going to thank her for being a pacifist like himself, but she deserved that, at least.

Then he paused. Was it a double innuendo? "Before you leave, Hinata..."

"Hm?" That caught him off guard.

"There is a summoning contract I would like to give you." Just then there was a pecking sound at the window beside him. Hinata skipped over and slid it open, and a large crow with red eyes hopped in, giant claws clutching a scroll. Wind was blowing black feathers all over the place and at her face.

Itachi paid the mess no mind. "I figured you are considered one of us, now. As an Uchiha, in Fugaku's words. I am sure he will not mind you caring for our neglected cats, considering you will become the future Uchiha Lady." _Not that she would have time for any Uchiha politics if she were to focus her attention on the command of her own clan. He resisted the urge to rub his temples. No doubt he would have to involve himself in Hyuuga affairs and her in Uchiha affairs when that time came. It was unheard of for heirs to marry. Hell, it was unheard of for Uchihas to marry outside the clan. He didn't want to imagine the clan heritage problems and offspring. Would they be genetically mutated failures or have either one or both byakugan and sharingan at their disposal? What if the byakugan user was more inclined towards the Uchiha clan and the Sharingan user towards the Hyuuga clan? No doubt there would be conflict. Both clans would refuse a leader if a different Kekkei genkai no matter how politically savvy or powerful. Itachi mentally sighed. With her obsession with someone else, that didn't seem an issue for him to worry about. But no one else knew that. _

_Hinata, however, simply expected both clans to unite and mixed together, controlled and happily living together. Under two teamwork leaders. Or at least, that was what she would impose in the future._

Hinata's byakugan widened, and the crow thrust the scroll into her chest before she could catch it properly and flew off, black feathers scattering over the windowsill.

She shut the window and turned to Itachi, suddenly hesitant. "Y-You sure about this?"

Itachi snorted, which was rare. "When have I ever been uncertain? Every decision has an obvious correct choice when people choose not to blind themselves with pride and false perceptions... I am certain you will have a use for it." His eyes took on a faraway look.

"When the time comes, you will pass it onto Sasuke." _He is still young and irresponsible_, was the unsaid statement.

"Of course." Her unusual hesitation stopped. "I've always been lonely. What you're giving me is a pet, right? Not combat material?"

"You can try to train them, but I've never seen our cats in battle." He shook his head. "Regardless, that is not the reason I am giving you this. I am sure you are strong enough to handle your own fights."

"Then what use would-"

"I understand your mentality well enough to know what would be best for you. You are just like me. Cats will make excellent companions, just as my crows do."

Hinata was at the door. She smirked. "In other words, a sanity check."

"With animal therapists." Itachi matched her smirk. "We can't have you snapping one day and killing your entire clan, do we?"

_He didn't realize the irony in that joke._


	17. Chapter 17

月

* * *

><p>"I request permission to befriend Uzumaki Naruto."<p>

Hinata kneeled before the Hokage, head lowered in submission.

Yes, more submission than mere respect. Because this was about Naruto and he was worth more than any powerplays.

Securing an appointment with the Hokage had been unexpectedly easy. Only months ago she would have had to ask her father for permission for every extreme move, but after a while Hiashi had started developing faith in Hinata and left her to her own devices, most of the time. She would report to him if the matter was important anyway.

Plus while the Hokage tended to refuse or put off appointments with clan leaders or council members as much as possible, she was one to generate another's curiosity.

So here she was, meeting with the Sandaime Hokage without permission from Hiashi, because her father would be too afraid of a suspected "power struggle" with the Hokage and the Council or involvement with the Nine Tails jinchuuriki to allow it, even if it was his most trusted daughter.

"Did your father put you up to this?"

"No, sir. I believe he would disapprove."

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow. She didn't appear to be lying, so.. "Then why?"

"Because I care about him." Her head lowered, knowing she was expected to elaborate. "He has been a source of inspiration for me ever since I started losing the confidence necessary for a heiress. He's taught me to never relent in the face of impossible enmity."

She looked up to look him in the eye. "You must understand my position and the pressures that are packaged into my role. Naruto has it a thousand times worse, yet he comes out a thousand times better off. He is the reason I haven't killed myself—long ago. Because if he never gives up, why should I?" _Can't say that in present tense, or I risk being sent to Suicide Hotline. Of course the Hokage won't do that to a normal shinobi as suicidial behaviors are a normal thing for killers, but being the Hyuuga's heir and all, he'd certainly do anything to gain leverage over me._

Her head lowered.

_He already has leverage, though. He has custody of Naruto. And he would certainly raise a war before handing Naruto over to the Hyuuga clan. Over his dead body._

She pressed her forehead to the stone cold floor.

Sarutobi pinched the bridge of his nose, clamping his teeth on his smoke pipe. While he wouldn't have suspected a thing if any clan heirs or whatever befriended Naruto in the Academy, over the recent days he'd become suspicious of the Hyuuga girl. She was the esteemed heir rumored to possess the wisdom of an Elder, and the strength of an elite jounin. Upon first glance, he couldn't believe this tiny child was Hinata, but what he discerned from this meeting was a different story. She was too smart for her own good.

Yet.

Her sincerity for Naruto was completely honest. Sarutobi was a professor of sixty years, he knew from watching the minuscule of muscle movement in her eyes and the submissive pose of her body and the pleading and admiration of her voice that she was completely honest with zero hidden intents. Perhaps she really was a child and he had overestimated her ruthlessness. In fact, he knew Hinata didn't have any friends, as she was always too advanced or too involved in politics, so maybe she had related to Naruto's loneliness as well.

Forget about refusing Naruto a friend, how could he refuse _two_ lonely children their companionship?

And maybe, just maybe something good will come out of this for the both of them. A good-willed girl who sympathizes and befriends the disadvantaged, as the Hyuuga clan's leader?

That was precisely what Konoha needed.

Sarutobi sighed, but he was also smiling. "Alright Hinata. You may be friends with Naruto."

He chuckled in amusement at Hinata's face instantly brightening up. It was rare to see a Hyuuga display emotion, much less a happy emotion like a normal civilian child opening a Christmas gift.

As Hinata sprinted out, Sarutobi dropped his pipe and stopped her with a word. "Halt."

Hinata froze, sweat trailing down the side of her face as she slowly turned her head slightly back to see him. _Of course it had been too easy. Nothing ever comes easy. He wasn't going to..._

"Do you know the truth about Naruto?"

_Shit._

_..._

"Did Hiashi-dono tell you that Naruto is..." He mentally recorded her reaction, "the Kyuubi's container?"

_He did._

"Lying would only dig yourself into a deeper hole, Hinata," he preemptively told her. The silence told more than enough, and his decision was already clear. Sarutobi hated himself for saying his next eviction.

"I am sorry, Hinata-chan, but I cannot allow you to befriend Naruto." The Hokage looked as if he'd just aged another ten years. No doubt he would have to reprimand Hiashi himself later for telling the secret, perhaps by demoting him since clan heads don't get arrested.

She spun around and glared with a ferocity rivaling Neji's. "Who the fuck cares about whether he's the Kyuubi's host or even the Kyuubi itself?! If you're more concerned about keeping power under your control than the feelings of your people then you do not deserve to be our Hokage!"

Hinata was a hypocrite. Just yesterday she had "disciplined" a branch member for the smallest reason of looking at her the wrong way, regardless of his feelings of being suppressed.

But that skirmish wasn't shown in her eyes, so it was Sarutobi this time who was startled, at her words, and her countenance.

He'd never expected to see Hinata this disheveled. In an eerie way, he was reminded of an enraged Kushina.

Or a Tsunade.

...

_Women._

And this was why he did not dismiss her for such blatant disrespect. Experience with those women taught him to deal with the problem directly and immediately else it'll bite him back in the long run. Plus. She was still a child, and children threw tantrums. So he responded calmly.

"That is where you're wrong, Hinata-chan. And believe me when I say this; Naruto-kun is like a grandson to me. Regardless, being Hokage is not about doing what's best for yourself, but what's best for _everyone_."

"And that's why you're like—you're—Danzo! The same reason he wasn't chosen as Hokage is the same reason you don't deserve to be!"

_This girl knew too much._ But that matter was the last thing in his mind. These words stung a sore spot for the old man."I don't deserve to be Hokage?!" He turned and stomped around his desk, his shadow towering over her.

"I've protected this village for two wars and sixty years! I AM the Hokage!" He roared as he grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled her up, lifting her meters above ground, above him.

It was a strange sight for Sarutobi to be acting so violently. He was a peaceful man weary of war and conflict, such that Hinata could have easily countered and he wouldn't have resisted. But she didn't. She simply squirmed midair.

Then, her small lips twisted back in disdain. "Hiru-zen Saru-tobi!"

His eyebrows rose at the sound of his full name without honorifics. It must have been twenty years since anyone addressed him that way. Her next words struck his cord.

"Have you heard of the Will of Fire?" The manic grin on her face only enraged him more. How could a child rile him up more than Danzo ever did?!

Before he could control himself, he thrust her to the floor, killing intent blasting out through the room, but the ANBU knew not to intervene. A few birds dropped dead. A few bones cracked. "Are you _mocking_ me, Hyuuga?!"_ Mocking the very foundation of Konoha?!_

She could have landed gracefully to her feet, but she didn't. Instead, she crashed and laid sprawled and broken, barely clutching onto consciousness, but her voice betraying none of it. "Yes, _I am_."

Then, she continued. "Protect your comrades, protect the Leaf. Did you_ forget_?"

Her eyes widened along with her grin. "Remember when the Uchiha planned a coup? How long ago was it? Who was the one who stopped it?!"

She climbed up on shaky legs and grabbed his paralyzed hand. "Yes, _me_! Did you genuinely believe I'd sacrifice my entire future just for the clan?! I stopped a war, a massacre. Naruto would have been thrown in the middle of it and I saved him! Saved Konoha! While you could do_ absolutely nothing_!"

The Hokage felt totally accused.

She tilted her head. "Itachi-san did too, haha, can't forget about his part, eh?"

Hiruzen felt something tighten in his hand.

She giggled. "So you see, I like him. I like him so much I'll go crazy! You know I don't care what he is!"

She placed her hand on her dislocated shoulder and popped it back into place. "Oh and, you won't have to worry about me trying to court Naruto." Her voice lowered into a whisper. "_It obviously won't be happening._"

He marginally relaxed and tensed at the same time. The Hokage's war switch had turned on somewhere in the middle and the doubt in himself grew. Thinking that Hinata inherited Hashirama's will more than he did.

All this time he had prevented Kushina's best friend, Mikoto, from adopting Naruto, because she was an Uchiha. Perhaps he should have allowed it, even if there was suspicion upon the clan for releasing the Nine Tails, if they had...perhaps Naruto would have had a family and the blame would've been diverted because, anyone would wonder why would the Hokage allow the Uchiha to raise the Kyuubi if the Uchiha really did attack the village?

He was growing senile and paranoid. _Like Danzo,_ she said.

Speaking of which, how did she learn about such a secretive man? Not that his name was private knowledge, he was one of the head councilors after all, but his pragmatic methods? ...Sarutobi sighed, deciding not to ask. Perhaps from her ties with the Uchiha. That must be it.

He removed Hinata's hug from his side and looked her in the eyes, somewhere down the line she had started crying. This show of emotion relieved him.

"Very well. You may be friends with Naruto."

Sarutobi then realized he'd also felt pained at Naruto's loneliness. He was already predisposed towards letting Hinata do what she wanted.

"Yay! Okay, bye!" This time, Hinata_ body flickered_ out before he could change his mind, leaving the Hokage in a wind of dust.

Being the paranoid girl she was, Hinata saved an audio recording of this conversation as well.

_In case he changes his mind._

* * *

><p>月<p> 


	18. Chapter 18

月

* * *

><p>Within the Konoha hospital room, Itachi blinked upon seeing the empty hospital bed across his bed occupied.<p>

By Hinata.

He chuckled and sat up. "As usual, I have been expecting you, but not like this."

Under the covers, Hinata turned her back to him as she curled up, wanting to sleep. It wasn't as if her ribs were broken, just dislocated from her earlier bout with the Hokage. She knew they put her in the same room as Itachi on purpose. those sneaky hospital staff.

Half of her regretted not going home and sleeping it off, but the other half reminded her that she needed to fix her body as soon as possible if she wanted to progress with things like plans. Hinata was no medic-nin, so she went to the hospital and lied about hurting herself in training.

They looked at her skeptically but knew better than to question it and ushered her into this room.

_Kami, the Hokage packed a strong punch._

She shut her eyes, trying to sleep.

Then the weasel interrupted.

"Hinata~chan, you never visit more than five minutes at a time. It's as if you only do so to keep up appearances," the older Uchiha said huskily. "It makes me happy that you will be staying for a while, this time."

She made a sound that could be mistaken for a growl. Leave it to Itachi to force her into using her wits. What could he be planning now?

Itachi smirked. "I am feeling a little less lonely, with my fiance here. Why don't we talk for a bit?"

She sighed, fingering the bandages around her torso and lying on her side to face the side-wall. "Sure."

He closed his eyes. "Ever since you've landed me in the hospital, who has been picking Sasuke up from the Academy?" _Mikoto?_

"I have."

His eyebrows rose. "Really now? Tell me about that."

Hinata's right shoulder shrugged. _Well, why not? Itachi likes his little brother. I'd ask about N-Naruto myself if I were in his place._ She opened her mouth.

* * *

><p><span>~Flashback~<span>

* * *

><p>It had been one day after Itachi was put in the Emergency Room. Sasuke had gone to the Academy as usual, and barely shot his shuriken in the dead center during target practice. He had been worried about nii-san the whole time up 'til the bell for class dismissal rang.<p>

Even as the children scurried outside to meet with their parents, a part of his mind rejected this reality. Was he thrown into another dimension or was this a genjutsu? _Nii-san never lost_. _Nii-san never got hurt_. _Nii-san is the embodiment of perfection_. So how?

His mind wandered off to the girl her age and a bit of hatred and fear, and reluctant reverence towards Hinata.

He shook his head. _She wants me to address her as "nee-san"? She's strong like nii-san but she's evil! _

He stopped upon the edge of the crowd and waited for nii-san to take him home like normal, but someone _else_ was standing precisely where _he _was supposed to be.

Sasuke glared at Hinata, preparing for a confrontation.

But upon seeing him, white meeting black, Hinata pivoted and strode off, shoulders tense as she set a brisk pace. Her jaw was tightened with impatience. As if this valuable time she was wasting on Sasuke could have been used for Naruto.

Sasuke blinked and ran after her, anger completely vanishing in confusion. She was _fast_.

Upon reaching the front door of the Uchiha household, Hinata stopped and extended a foot to trip over an exhausted Sasuke. Just as he fell, she grabbed his hand and pulled him up, using the stolen technique of Itachi and colliding his forehead with her fingers.

She smirked at the sudden revelation on his face. Sasuke was going through hundreds of thoughts within seconds.

"Sasuke-kun, I'll be escorting you home until Itachi-kun gets out of the hospital." _It was my fault, after all._

Sasuke looked furious and about to cry, and slammed the door in her face.

Hinata blinked, annoyed. Maybe it wasn't a good idea say that_ after_ she escorted him? _Okay, maybe I was a bit inconsiderate._

Thus, she decided it wasn't worth staying to greet Fugaku or Mikoto, and went home instead. Or the hospital. Or to Naruto's. Or somewhere else she was supposed to be.

Every day since then, this was just an escort mission, no words communicated, and no friendliness. Not even the fangirls were jealous from seeing their lack of interaction.

* * *

><p>月<p>

* * *

><p>Hinata shut her mouth, deciding not to say anything about their time together.<p>

Itachi waited for her to elaborate, perhaps tell cute stories about Sasuke. After about ten seconds of silence, he flexed his fingers and spoke.

"Let me guess, you are socially awkward and failed to form a complete sentence for Sasuke."

_I formed a sentence!_

He smiled. "Hinata, you'll be getting out of the hospital today, correct?"

She felt petty. "Well, yeah, jealous?"

"Not at all. Escorting Sasuke home was not my only duty. You have a responsibility to train Sasuke in my place. Take him to shuriken practice."

"_Now_ you say that?" Hinata was frustrated. After she secured her friendship with Naruto, she's told to spend that time with _Sasuke_ instead.

Itachi just smiled.


	19. Chapter 19

宇智波

* * *

><p>When the dismissal bell rang, Sasuke rushed out of class. It wouldn't do to keep Hinata waiting, or she'd depart a few seconds earlier, and those few seconds were worth half a block of distance for him to catch up to.<p>

So he zoomed and stopped before Hinata, his impressive speed being the amazement of the other students, and waited for her to turn and lead him home.

But she didn't.

She had a cloud of gloom over her head and Sasuke gulped.

"Sasuke," She said reluctantly, dropping the honorific. He could tell she wasn't going to play sycophant. "We'll be training toge—No, _I'll_ be training _you_."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "What? Why? What about nii-san?"

"'Nii-san' is still hospitalized, and '_nii-san_' has assigned me the responsibility of honing your skills. Honestly, you should be grateful he asked." She looked annoyed.

Hinata wasn't one to show her true emotions to others, but Sasuke reminded her too much of Naruto, and we knew Naruto was an exception whenever it came to her demeanor.

The thing was, she was happy with Naruto and discontent with Sasuke.

By now she was about nine years old, so she assumed this childish bias came from her developing hormones. Yes, that must be it.

Only the discontent part involving Sasuke, though. Naruto was worth far more than that, after all.

Sasuke stared at her, mouth agape. Then he became agitated. Why wasn't she like the other girls in his class? Why was he _disrespecting_ him when he was an Uchiha?! Why was she so strong? Stronger than him?! He was the top rookie of the year but he knew that rank was rightfully hers, which gave him a sour taste. Or did she graduate already?! He hadn't seen her in school over the past weeks. Had she been cutting class?! Why's_ she_ escorting him home? Why—

Sasuke felt a sharp stinging pain on his cheek. This girl, who was the same height and age as him, had the sheer audacity to_ slap_ him, _Sasuke Uchiha_, out of his musings.

The whole crowd gasped. If Hinata were a normal girl, she would've been attacked or stopped by the adults. But she was the _Hyuuga_ heiress, that even civilians and classmates revered, and teachers had favored, in grades and lessons. She received the same amount of favoritism Sasuke got. Therefore, no one dared to reprimand her.

"I SAID, we're going to train!" Hinata placed her hands on her hips and glared.

Sasuke glared back, and snorted in disdain. "Hn."

Then they left.

Mutterings arose.

* * *

><p>宇智波<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>Again.<em>"

Sasuke climbed to his feet and threw a flurry of punches and kicks at a shadow clone of Hinata.

It would've given him the satisfaction of popping Hinata clones over and over again, but he couldn't even defeat one. His teeth clenched in vexation as he was knocked down to the forest dirt.

"_Again._"

Sasuke jumped up and repeated his combo of taijutsu styles, a mixture of the standard Academy katas and the Uchiha-taught ones.

Still no match for the clone, and a misstep landed his back against the bark of a tree.

"_Again._"

He climbed to his feet, and repeated.

* * *

><p>宇智波<p>

* * *

><p>Hinata took in a breath, sitting on a tree branch and looking down below in the forest clearing, evaluating clone vs Sasuke in a birds-eye view.<p>

_What was Itachi thinking? _

She wasn't a professional sensei, for duck's sake! Just because she knew _all_ about the human anatomy (Hyuuga-requirement and all,) didn't mean she was good at teaching!

Wrong, Hinata was good at everything. It wouldn't do good to doubt herself when she wasn't alone.

No, maybe she was doing the wrong thing here. Maybe she was just taking out her anger at Itachi and life in general onto Sasuke.

She frowned. _No, no I'm not. Father did the same thing to me, and look how I turned out! _

_I'm simply repeating the same technique on this boy. _She reassured herself._  
><em>

She thought back to what she said to her father that fateful night,

"_Fear is necessary for evolution. The fear_ that one _could be destroyed at any moment_."

Yes, that self-realization was what saved her, and made her as strong as she is today.

Giving Sasuke the same thing would strengthen him. He would be an important pawn of hers in the future, being the younger brother of her fiancé and all.

She just needed to make sure he didn't surpass her.

Nah, that was selfish. If Sasuke surpassed her, then she totally deserved it for being such a_ failure_.

So she resolved to train Sasuke as hard as possible just to make him a potential candidate to keep herself on her toes. She knew he had the skill for that to happen, even if he didn't show it. (Hinata didn't know he showed off. She hadn't looked at the academy rankings as it was beneath her. But if she did, she'd instead freak about Naruto being the dead last.)

Still, she didn't doubt the boy. He reminded her so much of Naruto that he was impossible to doubt.

But there was a problem. Hinata was just an outsider, so Sasuke had nothing to lose. It wasn't like back then when Hinata almost lost her heritage and family. Sasuke didn't have the fear necessary to evolve.

_I don't think I'm the ideal trainer_, she thought_. _What she didn't realize, was that if Naruto was in Sasuke's place, Hinata would've been the best trainer in all the elemental nations.

She winced at a particularly painful landing and sighed. Sasuke wasn't learning from his mistakes. She leaped off her branch to correct his stances.

Her intention was to train him with this method everyday, or at least, until the cat summons created and provided her enough tools to start going serious in shurikenjutsu. Hinata could easily buy hundreds of shuriken with the vast fortune of hers, but she figured she should give the cats something to do. They were neglected over the past decades by the Uchiha, and winning their loyalty completely had to begin with giving them the feeling of being useful. Hinata shook her head, filing away those thoughts to approach another time.

* * *

><p>Luckily, Mikoto knew how to tend to wounds.<p>

Fugaku saw progress, and he was smug about it.

Sasuke, upon seeing his father's satisfied reaction, started seeing these painful training sessions in new light.

It was strange how attitudes could_ change so quickly_.

But they still seemed to hate each other.

* * *

><p>宇智波<p>

* * *

><p><em>A window opened, and Naruto sneezed.<em>


	20. Chapter 20

First, SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG (3 days is late for even Obito!) I couldn't keep up with Hinata and Tobi and Itachi's crazy schemes so...What I did was, plot out the ENTIRE STORY from Start to Finish! Even past the Shippuden arcs! (Yes, it's on a notebook with random jokes, contingency plans and other matters regarding world domination. )  
><span>

Now I can relax and not worry about screwing anything up, PLUS I know exactly what happens in the long run. PHEW. –Tobee

* * *

><p>飛び<p>

* * *

><p>"Welcome home Mistress!" Five cats mewed simultaneously at the entrance.<p>

Home didn't feel like a work office anymore. Before, it had been just her and father. Even before that, there was Hanabi.

Now, it was her, father, and like, twenty or so cats running about. They also invaded other parts of the compound.

Luckily, Hyuuga tended to be observant, so none of them tripped.  
>Hinata chuckled, wondering about her sister's reaction to waking up to a few cats in her home...<p>

Then her thoughts darkened. Hanabi was living with Neji.

She shook her head as she walked inside, plopping herself onto a sofa. _That's history now. _

A cat curled around her leg and brushed its tail against her hand. "What's wrong, Mistress?"

As if to show that she was busy, the cat was silenced on cue when she pulled out a huge stack of files from a sealed envelop delivered by a branch servant, taken from the Hokage's classified techniques archive. It took quite a few days of political scheming to legally borrow a specific set of forbidden, dusty mission reports that would be useless to anyone who attained it. But Hinata wasn't just _anyone_.

With her byakugan flashing through the words and absorbing the information at a rapid pace, Hinata was done with a hundred pages within minutes.

_Sennin. _

It was the stuff told only in legends. There was currently only one sage in this world, Jiraiya of the Toads. And this was _his _mission report, written in his own atrocious handwriting, detailing his experience during his training trip with the toads, and his momentous return as the first Toad Sage known to Konoha.

Not even Orochimaru or Tsunade could measure up to him in greatness.

Her eyes glimmered with admiration. Someday, if things went according to plan, Naruto would follow his example in the future as well.

_As well_.

Because, Hinata would do it first.

She looked back at the cats, who had already made themselves at home with her, curling on her lap, her sides, her legs and feet, and one of them at the top of the couch pillowing her head. It was _warm_. And will only get warmer still.

* * *

><p>飛び<p>

* * *

><p>A childish man with a lollipop-orange mask pranced around inside one of the most hidden ROOT hideouts in existence. "HIIIIIIIYA DAANZO~CHAN~~~!"<p>

Danzo stared back, sharp and alert with the only eye he had. He forcefully slowed his heartbeat to retain the calmness necessary to analyze this unforeseen situation.

"HEY! Looks like you only got _one_ eye too! We're twinnies!"

* * *

><p>飛び<p>

* * *

><p>"You kittens haven't fought in a war for a while, right?"<p>

As they shook their heads, Hinata hid a smile. "Then I'll be training you before you grow rusty beyond repair. Do you have a Boss?"

"We're a large cat family. There's no boss or hierarchy, we just live together and eat catnip at the abandoned Uchiha hideouts. There's no humans there because they all moved to Konoha after the Warring Clans Era and some of them have been demolished by nature. There's lots of grass and trees. It's always warm there too."

Hinata blinked. "Hmm…I'll think about that…So far I've been talking to each of you one on one. Which of you haven't I met yet?"

"Just one. Mewdusa, the Uchiha Cat matriarch. She's the mom of almost all of us, but she works just as hard as we do." _At catching fish_.

Hinata shrugged. "Well, okay, I'm exhausted, but I think I can skip tonight's meeting to meet with her." _Just one last summon to tame. _"In fact, let's do it right now_._"

All five cats and the girl vanished as one, from the room in smoke.

* * *

><p>飛び<p>

* * *

><p>Tobi flapped his arms. "DAAAAAAANZOOOOO~~~~~~~~~!"<p>

"I accept your proposal, Madara-sama." _You have made a mistake, Madara, to eliminate the only allies you can get; the Uchiha have already been turning against the Leaf. They would have been willing to join you if you had just exposed yourself to them and offered to lead their uprising. I'll handle you once the treasonous Uchiha are out of the picture, and you are by yourself without the backing of your clan._

_I am doing only what's best for Konoha. _

_Damn Hyuugas are in the wrong as well, handing Council seats to the deceitful Uchiha like free candy. But none of that will matter soon. _

Danzo smirked. _Tobirama-sensei, this is a sight you should have seen before your self-sacrifice; the man you hated the most is shooting his own foot._

"Happy Valentine's Daaay!" Tobi drawled out, swirling out of existence.

* * *

><p>飛び<p>

* * *

><p>Hinata sighed contently. Mewdusa was a very large cat, the size of the Fourth Hokage's giant toad who held down the Kyuubi.<p>

Hinata sat on the neck of this cat, and stroked its fur, sending large waves of Gentle Fist chakra that twirled and twisted and stroked through all of the gargantuan fur in a warm, soothing manner, exploiting specific pressure points and sending stimuli of pleasure towards its brain. Who would have thought Gentle Fist techniques could be useful in such a manner?

Mewdusa purred… "You've got….mewww… Amazing massage skills….No one has been large enough to pet me….mew, when they did, it only felt like a flea rubbing its butt on my hair…."

Hinata smiled as she pressed her cheek against the giant golden cat, relaxing her chest and thighs. This felt better than the finest bed in the Hyuuga clan, (which was her bed, of course.)

They lied there, sunbathing in the secluded region somewhere countries away from Konoha. Like the Toad's Mount Myoboku, if the Akatsuki were to try, they'd take a month to discover the secret entrance guarded and hidden by the protective seals limited to summons.

The Uchiha were ignorant to overlook such a treasure.

Then again, there wasn't a cat that trusted its life with an Uchiha as much as it did with Hinata.

Hinata smiled as her eyelids drooped.

She was safe here.

* * *

><p>飛び<p>

* * *

><p>Danzo sent a messenger hawk to summon Shisui.<p>

There was no need for Shisui to waste his eyes on the clan.

Even if Shisui's Mangekyou Sharingan swayed the Uchiha back to Konoha's side, Madara still knew the secrets of the Sharingan more than anyone. If he was truly the man Tobirama-sensei detested, he would find a way to break the genjutsu, and spur the Uchiha into incinerating the Leaf into ashes. Danzo was not one to take chances.

The Kotoamatsukami would be better off in Danzo's hands.

However, the bird was stupid enough to take a shortcut by flying near over the Hyuuga compound, and was spotted by one of the hungry cats making its way to the Hyuuga kitchens.

_When cat sees a bird, and the cat is a ninja cat, while the bird's just a messenger bird, you know what happens._

So Shisui went uninterrupted when he leapt through the open window of a rundown apartment just as the blonde boy inside sneezed.

"Hi there, Naruto!"

"Who—What do you wan—No, I didn't do it! I stopped pranking last week Mr. Military Police Sir!"

_Shisui just smiled  
><em>

The same smile Itachi used.

But Shisui was the _originator._

* * *

><p>飛び<p> 


	21. Chapter 21

阳

* * *

><p><em>Flashback<em>

Hinata walked through the compound situated right beside the Hyuuga compound. It was a mass of land they owned, gifted by the Shodaime Hokage in a worthwhile effort to convince them to join Konoha.

The Hyuuga had wanted double the amount they needed, so Hashirama had thrown in the compound reserved for another clan into the deal. Although half the land ended up unused, because the Main House decided to group all the Branch families closely together for easier "supervision."

That left an empty section of the compound, which was now being given to the Uchiha.

Hinata thought of the prospect of Hyuuga and Uchiha living side by side and didn't know what to think about it. For one thing, it was convenient. But it also risked privacy invasion. Not that she minded, the Byakugan was more suited to spying on neighbors than the Sharingan.

Her eyes counted out a few occupied homes. Then, someone came up from behind.

"Hello! This place offers a great view of the village!"

She turned around and perked an eyebrow at an adult man with torn skin, black hair and glowing sharingan eyes. _The Uchiha were moving in so quickly already?_ She forced a polite smile. "I'm glad you like it here."

"Oh, honored heiress! Would you please give me a tour of our new home before everyone moves in?!" The man clasped his hands together dramatically.

Hinata tilted her head. "I'd love to."

She promptly showed him some of the hidden meeting places and locations clan compounds had, including the conjoined training grounds and gardens and rivers. Then, she showed him the seals on the walls.

Somehow, he had led her into showing him parts of the Hyuuga compound as well, although they were only there for about two minutes, since she wasn't one to make mistakes that risk security breaches when it comes to her clan. She had only showed the surface of things, anything that a hawk flying by would have noticed.

Yet, with the way she adverted her gaze when they walked passed a certain home…

He waved his arms, "I had lots of fun!"

Hinata perked up. Something was definitely off about this Uchiha. She turned on her byakugan and faced him. "Who are you, _really_?"

He blinked. Then, he smiled. "I have a feeling we'll meet again, so I'll tell you. I'm Tobi Uchiha!"

Recognition dawned on her face. She remembered that name listed somewhere on the classified Uchiha clan roster. Hinata smiled back, though it looked strange on her face. "Feel free to visit anytime."

"Oh I _will."_

It would have worked out spectacularly if this Uchiha wasn't _Tobi._

* * *

><p>阳<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

Hinata sneezed and rubbed her nose. Sasuke was improving at a rapid pace, almost half as fast as she did. It had been a few days since she last saw Naruto. _That's it, I'm skipping tomorrow's training session to see him and apologize._

She tossed a few oranges past Sasuke as he spun around and sliced each of them cleanly in half with four shuriken and a single throw.

Hinata clapped slowly. "Good work, an opponent won't sit there waiting for you. You've been wasting your time attackimg immobile targets at the Academy and started out unable to hit a fruit thrown directlytowards you, and now you can attack multiple targets with a single spin, like a Hyuuga Revolving Heaven technique. "

Sasuke panted. "Is that why you made me sit down and study physics?"

Hinata blushed, I actually did it to sneak off to visit Naruto. "Yeah," she lied.

Sasuke noticed her expression and blushed back. "I— Thanks." …At Hinata's questioning look, he added. "For training me."

Hinata smiled and hopped off the tree branch she perched on, landing to the front-left of Sasuke and placing her left hand on his right shoulder. "I think you've improved enough to defeat most genin in taijutsu and shurikenjutsu."

He beamed.

Her eyes took on a considering glint, "But I still have a lesson to teach you." _A lesson I won't be teaching Naruto._ "It's _very_ important."

Sasuke turned his head to stare at her, widened black eyes only inches from her narrowed white ones.

He was so adorable that it only reminded her of Naruto, and something tugged at her chest. She hardened it, and stepped back, pulling out two bunnies. Sasuke wondered where she got them, but the thought was deferred by her next indictment.

"I am going to kill these rabbits; however, you can still save one of them. Which one do you choose to live?" She held a kunai threateningly over both their necks, her other hand holding them together by their ears.

Sasuke's heartbeat sped up and his sweat turned cold. "I—I—How can I choose?! D-Don't kill any!"

"It's impossible to save both. You do not have the power to stop me, only the power to choose which one lives. You have five seconds."

_4._

_3._

_2._

Hinata sighed and added a third bunny, and split them into two piles. A rabbit isolated by itself, and two rabbits held together. "Now which do you choose?"

Sasuke just stared. Hesitatingly, he pointed to the hand with the two rabbits.

Hinata released her grip, dropping the rabbits who ran for their lives, and picked up the kunai.

She stabbed the remaining bunny. Sasuke shrieked, but it was too late to save it.

He started shaking and sobbing waterfalls, traumatized, while Hinata placed the convulsing corpse into a reverse summoning scroll.

.

* * *

><p>阳<p>

* * *

><p>Back home, a bunch of cats raced towards the freshkill that popped out of nowhere, meowing thanks to their goddess Hinata.<p>

* * *

><p>阳<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

"Sasuke, don't forget this lesson. Someday, you might have to choose between saving one or the other. The ideal decision is to rescue both, but if that's impossible, both will die, and you'd have missed your chance because of your hesitation." She looked at him seriously.

Sasuke gulped, and felt intense guilt. He didn't know why, and that ashamed him.

She kept lecturing. "Sometimes, the choice is made easier by the number of rabbits you can save." Her bloody hand went for his chin and held up his face. Sasuke could feel the lukewarm liquid sliding down his neck.

"Sometimes, you have to choose between which side you're on. If you're in Konoha, and Iwa has a larger population, you wouldn't switch sides just to save the most people. But if Konoha becomes corrupt?"

She smiled, cupping his cheek. It would have looked almost romantic, if not for all the crimson fluid. "_Never look at things only the surface._"

Sasuke was still curious, resisting the urge to wash his bloody face. "If that happens to you, what would you do?"

She looked thoughtful. "Well, I…I would fix Konoha, make it not corrupt." She smirked. "Did you really think I'd jump sides to Iwa? It would be that much harder to work my way up to a position of authority to overthrow Konoha's corruption by military force when I can easily do it in here, without any bloodshed, given the status I was born with."

Sasuke was silent for a few seconds, absorbing the information, realizing he had the same advantage.

"So for the decisions I make, I have to think things out." Sasuke wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve. "But isn't that h- 'hesitation?'"

"Nope," Hinata chirped, "Hesitation is when you don't choose."

"…Okay." Sasuke looked subdued.

* * *

><p>太阳<p> 


	22. Chapter 22

木叶

* * *

><p>They were "finishing up" when they were disturbed. In other words, Hinata using training methods as harsh as Hiashi's Jyuuken sessions and Sasuke enduring like the wannabe shinobi he was.<p>

Then, it happened.

"Sasuke-chan looks like he's just walked out of a minefield," a voice interrupted their training session.

Behind the shadows of the trees, the Uchiha known as Shisui stepped out.

He was right, though, Sasuke _did _look bruised and battered, a bloodied heap on the floor. His every tenketsu point was paralyzed and he was given a time limit to mentally reassess every error he made and every improvement he should have made.

Hinata shut the alarm clock and leapt off the branch she perched on to face the new arrival, her back shielding Sasuke a little protectively.

"Shisui-san."

"I'm honored you know my name, Hinata-_sama_."

Hinata was mildly surprised, unable to discern whether he was being serious or sarcastic. She decided to play along.

"How wouldn't I? You're the best Sharingan user and the pride of the Uchiha."

"And you're the best Byak—" …

They wasted ten minutes sucking up to each other, before Sasuke uncharacteristically shouted, "Shut up!"

At his two superiors turning their attention towards him, Sasuke instantly shrunk back into his shell, pacifying softly, "I-I wanted to keep training."

"Ah, that's just what I wanted to talk about." Shisui turned towards Hinata. "You're being too harsh on him, Hinata-sama."

"It's _training_."

"He's _nine_."

"So am_ I_."

"That's _different_."

They wasted ten minutes bantering until Sasuke again yelled "Shut up!"

"Could you please leave us alone now?" Hinata dismissed him flippantly_. He triggers my survival instinct._

Shisui cocked his head. "But Itachi-_kun_ wouldn't like that."

"He's in the hospital, and he's assigned, and en_trusted_, me to train his little brother however I see fit. _Who are you to judge_?"

Shisui smirked. "Not me,"

And with a flick of his finger, he disabled the invisibility genjutsu, and Naruto materialized, shown shivering and hugging Shisui's leg and staring at Hinata and Sasuke with disbelieving eyes.

"As you can see, _Naruto_-_kun_ wouldn't like that either."

"W—N-No!" Hinata looked frantic.

"You're neglecting little Naruto for Sasuke-kun. Just like everyone else had."

His betrayed expression was breaking her. She forced herself to swallow. "Naruto, I-I'm not." She stammered out in full-blown desperation and panic, as she slowly reached to touch him.

In an incredibly petty and childish manner, Naruto pushed Hinata away and then ran off deeper into the forest.

Hinata was left shaking.

Sasuke watched, confusion and disbelief shifting into realization and anger. He clenched his fists and stared at the floor in fury. Hinata wouldn't even spare him a second glance, but when it comes to Naruto…?! _What was so special about the goddamned dobe?_

He felt Shisui's palm land onto his head. "Just watch," Shisui said knowingly, and Sasuke turned his head back to see Hinata gone.

Probably chased after the dobe.

His nails dug into his palms.

_Usuratonkachi._

* * *

><p>木叶<p>

* * *

><p>"Naruto<em>, I love you<em>." She confessed a_ lot_ earlier than she was supposed to.

Naruto stared back, in complete shock. Perhaps his little brain was processing something.

Then, his eyes watered and he sobbed again.

Nine year old boys were too expressive, Hinata concluded.

"Then..Then _why_?" _Why would you train Sasuke and not me_?

She exhaled. _That's what you ask after I worked up my nerve to confess to you? Even if it was done in the heat of the moment._ "Because I _have _to do this." She held his chin up. "Naruto, remember what I said?"

_"_ _Naruto-kun, no matter what happens, whatever things I do, even if you don't see it, it's all for your sake."_

Naruto just stared. It sounded too good to be true. He couldn't fathom how making Sasuke-teme stronger than him would be for his sake but-

"I never go back on my word." _When it comes to you, at least._ She took his hands into hers and held them.

His eyes widened at the familiar statement he always preached, wondering it was coincidence the exact way she said it, not realizing Hinata watched him more than enough.

Not knowing how to react, he laughed. "Me neither!"

Hinata felt her stomach coil and her hands heat up at the delightful sound.

Her lips twitched. "Here. A present. I was saving it for your birthday," she lied, "but I feel like if I don't give it to you now, you'll never accept it," she told honestly. Her hand slid into her furry jacket pocket and her finger laced around into something leathery, tugging out a white collar matching the ones all her cat summons wore starting from the day they indoctrinated themselves under her command.

It was mass-produced, so the name tag was the same for every summon.

HINATA'S PET.

Of course this was meant to be _collateral_.

Spinning the collar casually around her finger, she flung it into Naruto's hands, and he was distinctly reminded of a few lost cats wandering around the roofs near his apartment. They wore the same thing.

_Those cats were yours?_

"As long as you wear that, you'll always remember my love." She paused. "The villagers will also acknowledge and respect you."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Flashback<strong>: _

_"I know how to make people acknowledge you."_

* * *

><p>Something at the back of his mind screamed at him to reject this offer. That this was the devil's temptation, a trick. So, his hands clenched into fists and he shouted, "I'll earn my own acknowledgment! By becoming Hokage!" He tried to fistpump the air for extra measure but ended up shaking and stressed, looking at Hinata and fearing her rejection from his rejection of her.<p>

"No," Hinata grabbed his shoulders. "You only need mine."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Flashback:<em>**

_"I won't see you often because I have a family to take care of._

_But blood means nothing, Naruto. What if some of those mean people were your parents? Parents are nothing when they hate their children. But me, I am... _

_Your family._

_You don't need anyone else's acknowledgement. Not the villagers or your classmates._

_You only need mine._

_And you already have it."_

* * *

><p>Naruto jerked away as if her touch were fire. His face was wrinkled in concentration. "You won't even give it to me! You spent all your time with <em>old men<em> and _Sasuke _and—I don't need it!" He felt his willpower convulse. "I have friends now! Hokage-jiji, Iruka-sensei, Mizuki-sensei, Shikamaru, Kiba, Chou—"

"NO JUST SHUT UP!" Hinata grabbed his hands desperately, "PP-PLEASE! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING" Her white eyes turned red and tears were flowing faster than waterfalls. She dug her nails into his hands, refusing to let go, know if she released him now, she'll never get him back.

It had the opposite effect on him, "I WANT THE WHOLE VILLAGE TO ACKNOWLEGE ME! I'M NOT GONNA GIVE UP ON MY DREAM TO BECOME HOKAGE JUST 'COS YOU—you love…me." His voice trailed off in the end and he looked down.

Hinata's bangs covered her eyes, "I see you've already forgotten all the time we've spent together."

Naruto shook his head in denial, "I'll never forget."

"Yet you've forgotten my feelings! Surely you feel the same about me! Naruto! As long as you wear that, you won't forget! Just put it on! Please. I need the _reassurance_." She pleaded. "_That you're mine_."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Flashback<em>**_: _

_"N-Naruto, you're __mine__, right?"_

_"What? Of course, you're my friend!"_

_"You'll __never__ leave me." _

_"U-Uh. I don't think they're gonna lemme in the girls bathroom with you, Hina-chan."_

* * *

><p>Now, he finally understood what she meant...But he also knew it was a bad idea. He was getting the same feeling as he did when a villager was being nice to him but inwardly plotting to kill him. But it wasn't quite the same. It felt more like the villager was smiling kindly to him and letting him choose which arm he liked better out of mercy, before decapitating the arm he didn't choose. It was this feeling.<p>

His stomach coiled and he shook his head fast. "I'm Konoha's Naruto Uzuma! …ki."

"So you're not H-Hinata's N-Naruto Uzumaki? You don't care about m-me anymore?"

She firmed her voice. "Or what, is my love not enough for you?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Apparently, you've chosen Konoha over me, but I'm asking you to reconsider your…decision."

She broke, her voice shaking. "Please, N-Naruto, c-choose again-n."

She took his hands into hers, her moon eyes pooling into his ocean ones.

Suddenly, something burned far behind his eyes. Naruto gripped his head, and groaned. "Owww! It hurts!"

Hinata's hands flew towards his cheeks and held them in concern, but that only made it worse. Naruto screamed.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAdDON'THHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-MAKE IT STOP MAAAAAAAAKEITSTOP MAKEIT STOOOOOOOOOOOOPMAKE IT STOPMAKEITSTDATTEBAAAAAAAAAAAYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Suddenly, Hinata froze. _What is this feeling?_ With godly willpower, she tuned out his screaming, and assessed her ingrained instinct. Hinata's instinct was _never_ wrong. Analyzing her instinct would provide her more insight of the situation than analyzing the situation itself. It was _that_ kind of instinct.

This, was the same feeling as _last_ time.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Flashback<em>**_: _

_"_You are a useless, pathetic wretch. I'm disgusted to have you as my daughter...Thus, from now on you are no longer one of-" __

**_IT'S THAT FEELING AGAIN! THE FEELING THAT I'M ABOUT TO GET ABANDONED! BY NARUTO! PERMANENTLY!_**

Her heartbeat multiplied a thousand times, and her fear screamed that if she didn't evolve now, she'll be destroyed.

It was obvious how she was supposed to evolve. She'd survive this if she moved on from Naruto.

_H-HOW COULD I POSSIBLY DO THAT?! _

She had to abandon Naruto before he abandoned her.

* * *

><p><em>NO! THAT'S DESTROYING MYSELF! WHAT IF I FAIL? I-I'M GURANTEED TO FAIL! <em>

Then, she laughed.

"Heheheheheh…AHAHAAHAHAHAH,"

It was deranged, crazy laughter that Naruto took a step back. But Hinata stepped forward.

"Naruto," she rasped. Her fingers curled around his arms, tightly. "Naruto. Naruto."

"W-What, H-H-Hinata-c-ch?" Naruto was scared.

Her smile widened. "I…am a part of Konoha too."

Naruto's head stopped hurting.

* * *

><p>日<p>

* * *

><p>Naruto fiddled with his new gift, putting the collar around his neck the way he saw some cats wear it. In a way, it was like a necklace. Hell, if anyone from Konoha gave him a present, he'd happily accept it. Why'd he refuse Hinata earlier?<p>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Flashback<strong>: _

_"But I still have a lesson to teach you." A lesson I won't be teaching Naruto. "It's very important."_

_Sasuke turned his head to stare at her, as she pulled out two bunnies. _

_"I am going to kill these rabbits; however, you can still save one of them. Which one do you choose to live?" _

_"I—I—How can I choose?! D-Don't kill any!"_

_"It's impossible to save both."_

* * *

><p><em>Naruto's choice would be 'both' no matter the circumstances, that's why I chose not to teach him Sasuke's lesson. <em>

Hinata gave a dry laugh. "You're very dangerous, you know that?"

Naruto didn't understand. "Eh?"

"Nothing," she answered. She chuckled, her hand casually sliding into her weapon pouch.

Even more casually, she pulled a shuriken out and tossed it backwards over her shoulder as if discarding it.

Six seconds later, a crow hit the floor.

* * *

><p>日<p> 


	23. Chapter 23

天

* * *

><p>It was <em>so weird<em>.

Before, Hinata told Naruto they couldn't be seen together in public. Now, Hinata tried to go _everywhere_ with Naruto.

It started out simple enough. Hinata had grabbed Naruto's hand and pulled him through the most busiest street of Konoha. Upon seeing the honored heiress of their most honored ninja clan, everyone, shinobi included, moved out of the way and bowed respectfully, as if she were royalty.

This might have been even more blatant reverence than the Hokage received!

But that could have been attributed to her every attribute. The way her colorless eyes commanded absolute obedience, the way she walked radiated holiness and elegance, the way she emitted an aura of power and superiority in stark contrast to her tiny size...No one doubted she would grow up to become their God. Everyone who looked upon her was instantly captivated and compelled.

_Hinata cheats. It was little hardly-undetectable genjutsu trick._

Then they noticed the Kyuubi brat following closely behind. Their melted hearts froze once again.

The crowds didn't know whether to glare with hostility or smile politely with the opposites so close together. They stared, slack-jawed. Then they saw the Kyuubi wearing a cat collar claiming itself as their princess's pet fox and blinked. Survival instinct combined with suspension of disbelief kicked in and they settled for fearful smiles.

Rumors spread.

"FOX HAS BEEN TAMED"

"Demon controlled"

"Hyuuga are more trustworthy than Uchiha!"

"The demon is under the Hyuuga's control."

"Don't fear the Uchiha anymore! They no longer control the Kyuubi!"

"We can sleep safely because our angels have chained the demon!" White eyes did have a connotation to divinity.

It was absurd how quickly all this escalated.

When some civilian reporter threw a question at Hinata, she ambiguously muttered, "Be nice to my pet. He's domesticated now."

When the Hokage found out, he slapped his face. "So that's what you were scheming...'Permission to 'befriend' Naruto?' HAH, you _collared_ him! The Yondaime's son!" He slammed his palms against his giant office desk, scaring off the poor chuunin.

It was too late to retract the 'deal' now, and he couldn't quite arrest her. They were both _children,_ Hinata implicitly had diplomatic immunity, Naruto was emotionally bonded, the Council would declare war, and it was generally a bad idea.

Sarutobi stamped "DENIED" on twenty sheets of random paperwork. _You win this round, Hyuuga child_.

* * *

><p>天<p>

* * *

><p>Around the same time Sarutobi did, Shisui also found out, and slapped his face. "Ita-chin! What was that about intending Naru-chi to protect Konoha so that Hina-chi will protect Konoha too?!" Shisui stood on Itachi's hospital bed, his feet standing beside Itachi's shins. They were alone, so...let Shisui do what he wants.<p>

Itachi sighed slowly. "It appears you have failed to account for the fact Hinata is also a part of the Konoha that Naruto is supposed to protect, Shisui."

Shisui sobered up, and checked the silence seals. "Well, yeah, since I intended Naruto to focus on the village over Hinata, and push her to the sidelines as a secret-admirer with her one-sided love! And I failed!"

"No, Shisui." Itachi shook his head. "You did the right thing. Have you ever heard of the Curse of Hatred?"

Of course he has. It was_ their_ clan's curse, after all. Shisui plopped down on Itachi's bed to stare at him dryly.

Itachi almost smiled. "People form their own reality by biased perceptions and preconceptions. When they feel they've been wronged, they will naturally feel an inclination towards 'justice.' But what is 'justice'? Their own gilded fulfillment, their pathetic attempt at equilibrium. They do not attempt to discover the whole picture, only taking into account a small part of the puzzle they see. No one can deny that this isn't true justice, but merely one's hatred in disguise...This is the Curse of Hatred."

He looked Shisui in the eyes. "They say only us Uchiha have it, but truthfully, _no one_ is really exempt from this curse. It's in human nature. But, Shisui, you've given the boy the gift of true peace, the power to see the whole picture. You've ensured that he will _never_ take revenge on the village for his poor treatment."

Itachi placed a hand on Shisui's shoulder. "What's more, if Naruto's priority is Konoha instead, then he'd be_ immune_ to manipulation on Hinata's part, or anyone else's." Itachi opened his Sharingan eyes to stare into his black ones, as if further emphasizing the point. "You've made no mistake, Shisui. Thank you."

Shisui was taken aback by rhetoric. Then, he let out a soft chuckle. "You never fail to amaze me, Ita-chi."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence between friends with the bond of brothers, until Shisui broke it. "But didn't you just say she's also a Konoha citizen?"

Itachi looked thoughtful. "That may be true, and that may be why Naruto is still smitten with her. But she's not anymore special than any other resident when one 'looks at the whole picture,' and should she defect the village, Naruto will no longer feel any affection towards her."

Shisui raised an eyebrow. "But what if Hinata becomes the Hokage?"

For once, Itachi was speechless, as if contemplating something, until he smiled. "Then we've secured Konoha's future."

* * *

><p>天<p>

* * *

><p>Class ended and just yesterday Sandaime-jiji had given him an envelope of his monthly allowance, so Naruto went to buy some rice. The lady was waiting at the door and ushered him inside, handed him a large sack of rice, and pushed him outside, smiling and muttering a 'run along now boy.'<p>

_O_O OKay..._

So then Naruto went to buy some fruits! The old man looked at his neck and smiled and tossed him a sack of fruits and told him to say hi to Hyuuga-sama.

Naruto didn't spend any money! He tugged at the choker at his neck and decided then and there it was a free shopping pass! _Thanks Hina-chan!_

Naruto didn't bother going to buy paint 'cos he didn't feel like it. He hummed the whole way home.


	24. Chapter 24

夜

* * *

><p>"Okaa-san! Look!" The little Uchiha boy named Hakuno pointed at the Hokage tower. His mother tilted her head up and activated her Sharingan eyes, looking over the compound walls. The Hokage Monument looked proudly over their homes, and the Tower was large to her eyes. They've always been ostracized and isolated, and now the clan is trusted at the heart of the village. It was a nice change, almost unbelievable even.<p>

The walls initially marked by Hyuuga emblems, now had Uchiha ones. Half the clan had already moved in.

Mikoto had moved in, too. She was preparing the home before Fugaku relocated. Fugaku remained in the Uchiha compound at the outskirts because he still had politics to deal with, and Sasuke remained with his father because Itachi was still hospitalized, and he didn't trust the Hyuuga with his second son, nor Mikoto's combat abilities in case a Hyuuga went wild.

Even though Fugaku and Hiashi acted like the best of friends and visited each other's house every other night.

It was necessary to maintain clan relations, and it was a quandary to unite two former rivals of power.

This, however, would spur Danzo against one or the other, because with the alliance of two of Konoha's most powerful clans, the leadership could easily be overthrown, if the Hyuuga decided to assist the Uchiha's coup.

Danzo paced around. The Uchihas' anger seemed to have quelled, but he knew it to be temporary. Either one of them had to be wiped out of the picture before a double-coup occurred, and the obvious choice was the Uchiha.

He scurried off to meet with the Hyuuga elders.

* * *

><p>夜<p>

* * *

><p>Uchiha Somoroki sat in his office, organizing Military Police files. From behind him, out of thin air, a black-gloved hand reached out and grabbed his shoulder. Before he could release a yelp that would release a fire jutsu at the trespasser, he was sucked away into another dimension.<p>

* * *

><p>夜<p>

* * *

><p>Hakuno and his mom returned home to see the office in a scattered mess.<p>

Okaa-san pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut. "Honestly, he was just looking for an excuse to get out of paperwork. Probably charged after someone to arrest the second he got a call."

Hakuno, realizing it wasn't the first time, dismissed his out-of-place tension and laughed, "Dad really loves chasing criminals!"

His mom smiled. "Grow up to be like him, alright dear?"

"Okay!"

* * *

><p>夜<p>

* * *

><p><em>Black…<em>

_Head hurts…_

_Why does my head hurt…_

_Drugs…genjutsu…_

_Did I finally lose to some criminal?_

_Hah…_

_It's a fitting end for me…_

_Expected of a police officer…_

_Dying with honor…_

_I hope my son grows up to be just like me…_

_Not that I'll ever get to see it…_

Drip.

_WAIT._

_I wasn't chasing some criminal._

_NO._

_THIS ISN'T A FUCKING HONORABLE WAY TO DIE,_

_YOU DIDN'T GIVE ME A CHANCE TO FIGHT BACK._

_I'LL GET REVENGE._

_EVEN IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO._

_YOU'LL REGRET TURNING AGAINST AN **UCHIHA**!_

Uchiha Somoroki's still body started struggling, rapid eye movement increasing tenfold with his sharingan activating without opening his lids, and the bindings against his body started tearing a fractional millimeter every now and then.

"Nope," Tobi said, and slapped a stasis seal over the man's forehead.

The struggling stopped, and Tobi visibly relaxed.

Rolling his shoulders, Tobi smirked. "Time to go outside again!"

Adjusting his orange mask to look presentable, not that it'd be presented to anyone who will live, _oh wait, but there's someone I will present it to_, Tobi swirled out of existence again.

* * *

><p>夜<p>

* * *

><p>"Precisely. The Branch house has been enslaved to the Main House long enough, but longer it shall continue, because it is our destiny. However, do you really expect me to tolerate us being slaves to the Uchiha's whims? Such an atrocity would be admitting we are not worthy of service to the Main House, but the secondhand towels of the Uchiha. That…<em>will not<em> be our destiny. Not mine, and not Hanabi-_imouto_'s."

* * *

><p>夜<p>

* * *

><p>"The Uchiha should be branched, lest they control the Main House and havoc is wrecked."<p>

Danzo smiled, his eyes closing into n's, one of them at least. Nudging the conversation towards the direction he intended without saying a single word of contribution or even approval in regards to such an extreme statement was his specialty.

* * *

><p>夜<p>

* * *

><p>Uchiha Kazuki was on his way to meet with the Hyuuga Council. Glancing about, and confirming that no one was around in the streets, he allowed his stoic façade to unmask. Smiling, he started humming his theme song.<p>

Out of nowhere, a chakra flared, and he abruptly stopped and spun around, to be met with an enlarging hand grabbing his face, and his head pulling the rest of his body forward.

He felt his entire body convulse and distort, and it was so painful and weird and abnormal like outer space, so he screamed but no sound came out, then his voice returned and he crashed into the stone cold floor in the darkness of an alter dimension.

He whirled his head up and shouted, "Somoroki!" at the sight of, well, a bondaged Somoroki.

"Well now, I expected you to pass out from the dimension switch, like that guy over there, but you're pretty strong." A weird man in a weird mask flailed. "Or, you just saw it coming and prepared yourself." The weird man placed his hand under his chin in a thinking pose, pacing around.

_Now's my chance! _

Kazuki charged, his body flicker could rival Shisui's on any good day, his kunai lashed out with fire-nature enhancement, only to phrase through the masked man.

He almost stumbled in surprise, knowing it _should_ have hit, _almost_, but he didn't, rotating expertly to assault his enemy again, and not even Fugaku-sama could have dodged that second move with the speed and lack of wasted movement he maneuvered at, but he phrased through the phantom again and felt something chop at the back of his head with no regard for his life.

He was knocked out.

* * *

><p>夜<p>

* * *

><p>"Hmmm…." The childish squeak of Tobi mused. "I'm collecting too many Uchihas…Maybe just one more for the day…."<p>

* * *

><p>夜<p>

* * *

><p>A third Uchiha fell into a black hole.<p>

* * *

><p>夜<p>

* * *

><p>"Okay, just one more then no more!"<p>

* * *

><p>夜<p>

* * *

><p>A fourth Uchiha in a black hole fell, wherever he went we'll never meet again.<p>

* * *

><p>夜<p>

* * *

><p>"AAAH I STOLE TOO MANY!" For the first time, Tobi regretted his actions. "In such a short period of time too. This means I have to wait a little longer."<p>

Tobi crossed his arms and glared at the four Uchiha chained in stumps and drugged with genjutsu. "Look how far the clan has fallen. Back then, you'd have put up more of a fight."

* * *

><p>夜<p>

* * *

><p>Hinata snapped her eyes open, unable to ignore the chill buzzing up her spine.<p>

"MEOW!" Koneko slapped Hinata with a special paw. "Focus! You're drawing in too much natural energy and too quickly! Balance!"

Hinata gasped as the natural energy was sucked out of her body. She evened her breathing and sat still, taking a break from drawing in senjutsu chakra.

Koneko tilted its head. "And you were doing so well too…Your meditation techniques are the best I've ever seen. I don't think even an earthquake would have disrupted it. What could it be that makes you look so scared?"

She turned to the cat. "I look s-scared?" She bit her lip. She hadn't stuttered like this without reason for a long time. There was always a reason.

Before, it had been too much pressure on her to keep up a clan heiress façade, so she always showed her weak side when she was alone. But even that was becoming less and less frequent, perhaps because she had been growing stronger.

To suddenly feel this way again…Hinata didn't like it.

"Sorry, I just …something's wrong." She closed her eyes. "It must be because I'm missing my family. My sister…I…Back when everything wasn't about war and manipulation and power…I miss my old life." Hinata told her cat.

_That must be it_, she tried to convince herself.

_But I don't even know how I really feel anymore_.

Hinata sighed forlornly, wishing she was like _Naruto_ during times like this.

When she returned home to the mess of dark politics, she would instantly change her mind. Someone like Naruto wouldn't survive in this world.

* * *

><p>夜<p> 


	25. Chapter 25

仇

* * *

><p>Over the following weeks, Uchihas have been disappearing left and right without witness accounts.<p>

Denizens thought they went on long-term missions, went MIA, went on training trips, or left for sudden shinobi affairs.

But when no one returned, or left behind any messages, families grew discontent and apprehensive.

It was like a ghost appeared and snatched them away when no one was looking.

Of course that was impossible, so they began looking for the cause. The Uchiha Military Police filed the case under 'The Uchiha Disappearances' and began investigating.

They noticed all the missing Uchiha were high ranking officials, and all of them had moved into the Hyuuga's side compound before they vanished.

No Uchiha from the outskirts compound went missing.

Of course they didn't voice their suspicion of the Hyuuga, most of them didn't dare consider their neighbor ally a suspect, but when Mikoto Uchiha disappeared, Fugaku blew over the top.

* * *

><p>仇<p>

* * *

><p>"LISTEN YOU HYUUGA-SAN, why are MY Uchiha going missing while your Hyuuga live scot-free?!" He slammed the meeting table with his fists. "Are you after our Sharingan?! You seem quite satisfied with the Caged Bird Seal shit!"<p>

Everyone from both clans gasped in varying degrees. They had never seen Fugaku-sama so crude and angry, and they had never expected him of all people to accuse the Hyuuga without proper evidence.

Maybe his built-up rage reserved for the coup d'état that was preemptively stopped and suppressed was beginning to leak out.

Then the mutterings arose. It was no surprise the Hyuuga were more than obsessed with dojutsu, those prideful fools probably wanted to pocket a few sharingan for themselves.

Hiashi stormed in. "What is going on?!" He turned towards Fugaku upon spotting him. "Fugaku-dono, why are you trying to terrify the elders?"

"Twenty six of my Uchiha have gone missing! TWENTY SIX!" Fugaku stomped over to Hiashi. "Hell, even my WIFE is missing. All because of your negligence! Or wait, how would you understand?! You don't have one!"

Hiashi narrowed his eyes. "You—Y- HOW DARE you! My wife **died** a decade ago and your wife's only gone missing for what, 5 minutes?!" His face was grimaced in rage.

Fugaku yelled. "You Hyuuga are hiding something! The evidence _my_ Military Police gathered is that every Uchiha went missing at specific intervals and locations _no one else _but the Hyuuga have access to! Such as areas nearby or even_ inside_ the Hyuuga Council chambers!"

Hiashi roared. "Putting the blame on my clan?! It's you who's been growing lenient! Your members are slacking off every opportunity they get! Unlike my branch members, controlled, dignified, puritan, and fulfilling of their duties to their maximum potential, your freeloaders eat, sleep, and hide!"

Fugaku turned on his Sharingan in full out rage. "Don't insult the Uchiha! My clan would _never_ back down from anything. In fact, it's you who's covering up! Why is it that no one reported Uchiha Kazuki's absence from the Hyuuga Council Meeting, huh?!"

Fugaku grabbed the edges of Hiashi's white robe with both hands and shouted into his face. "YOU HYUUGA WERE COVERING IT UP! YOU KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT IT!" _Hell, you probably have something to do with it!_

Wrinkles started stretching into Hiashi's temples as his white eyes activated in retaliation. Calmly, he answered. "We do not. We merely believed it would have been a political disaster on _your _end, because one of your most esteemed officials failed to show up for one of our most important meetings. It was an act of goodwill and _mercy_ on our part. But the snake bites the hand of its feeder, I see."

Fugaku didn't buy it for a second. He hit him.

That lead to a taijutsu-only battle, before the Uchihas pulled Fugaku back and the Hyuugas pulled Hiashi back.

Both panted hard, exhausted, and bleeding, intently ignoring the destruction around the Hyuuga-Uchiha meeting room.

But the brawl seemed to calm the men down, albeit intensified their feelings, and Fugaku stared at his fellow clan leader with hollow eyes. "I just want my wife back."

Hiashi's eyes softened in sympathy, a hint of understanding. "I know."

Fugaku hated that look of pity. He felt it break apart his self-dignity. He turned his face away and kept his rage to himself. Taking deep breaths, he muttered in whispers, "No, you don't know, or none of this would have happened."

He breathed out a breath of fire before walking to the front of the room and announcing, "As the leader of the Uchiha Military Police, I grant myself and my officers a warrant to search every last alley and secret room of you Hyuuga. If I even find one Sharingan hidden in a jar behind the beer in your kitchen cupboards, or a captive Uchiha, _you will pay_."

Fugaku's vindictive smile widened. "But if none of you are responsible, then you have nothing to worry about, nothing to hide, and no reason to refuse our search."

All the Hyuuga started shouting in outrage. They started voicing out their disagreements and arguing amongst the Uchiha.

"FUGAKU, this has gone too far!" Hiashi roared. "The loss of your wife is clouding your judgment!"

"What do you know about it?! You don't feel—"

"I FEEL you violating our privacy!"

"I see no other solution! YOU had this coming! Any more resistance and I'll arrest you!" Fugaku turned towards the audience. "The same goes for _all of you_."

Everyone quieted down, mad.

* * *

><p>That night alone, ten Hyuugas were thrown in jail, thirty two detained, and an uncountable number sent towards Torture and Interrogation.<p>

Many more homes were invaded, trashed, and destroyed, and this continued for days, until the Main House had had enough!

* * *

><p>Allied Meeting #2:<p>

* * *

><p>Hiashi, among ten other elders, glared at Fugaku, among ten other elders.<p>

After a staring contest of ten minutes, Fugaku cleared his throat, and spoke first.

"I'm afraid the loss of my wife clouded by judgment and there has been no evidence…" Fugaku hated himself for saying this. Hated his Military Police's incompetency at finding members of his family. He just _knew _the Hyuuga was behind the kidnappings, but they must have been professionals at hiding people. It was no surprise, really, they had the _Byakugan_. If they had practice at hiding things from members of their own clan, there was no doubt it'd work twice as effectively against the police's Sharingan.

But a niggling doubt at his chest questioned him,_ what if the Hyuuga were innocent?_ All this would have been for nothing, all those arrests….A large chunk of his ally's clan was detained.

The Hyuuga were no longer of their former glory, having been reduced in half.

Hiashi just stared in exasperation. "I see you've come to your senses, Fugaku-kun. Now release every Hyuuga you've _captured _and reimburse for all the property damage your forces have caused."

Fugaku cringed. Searching through their houses was necessary, and sure some furniture got broken along the path but it was_ necessary_, and it had already cost enough out of the Uchiha funds to conduct the investigation in the first place…but to pay for all that with the little money the Police have left?

Nonetheless, Fugaku consented. "That is fine by—"

"FUGAKU-SAMA!"

He spun around, fire in his eyes. "WHAT IS IT NOW, YOU POLICE RUNT?"

"We checked the last place at the end of the Hyuuga compound! It's where they keep newly branched Hyuuga members! But instead we found newly branched Uchiha members! They have caged bird seals on their foreheads and WE saw their eyes missing!"

"WHAT?!" They both simultaneously exclaimed.

And just like that, their alliance was severed.

Every Uchiha moved out of the Hyuuga's side compound.

And the Uchiha began plotting their coup, their one of their main targets being the Hyuuga.

* * *

><p>仇<p>

* * *

><p>Shisui cried, "Shit, I already used my eyes."<p>

Itachi shook his head remorsefully. "We've been too optimistic, and it was a mistake."

The window glass pane shattered, crashing through it was a small girl with black cat ears and a matching tail. Landing on all fours, a very soft, chillingly familiar voice purred, snapping them out of their shared suspension of disbelief. "So…what'd I miss?"

* * *

><p>仇<p> 


	26. Chapter 26

日

* * *

><p>"In summary, a bunch of Uchiha went missing at the compound the Hyuuga gave them? And just like that, everyone blames it on us Hyuuga?"<p>

"Yes."

"Without considering that it was an incredibly unreasonable and absurd thing to do on the Hyuuga's end?"

"There was no other possible suspect capable of pulling it off. Further, they were discovered in Hyuuga prisons with caged bird seals…"

"…I don't believe this." Hinata looked stressed. "I take a few weeks off for Sage training and I return to_ this_."

Shisui's eyes widened at the same time that Itachi's narrowed.

"S-Sage training?!" Shisui interjected, "You're only nine! Are you—so that explains—I thought it was a henge—it's real," Shisui tugged Hinata's tail, and it flicked, with more strength than a tail should have, knocking him to the hard dirt of the forest.

Shortly after her return, Itachi had taken them here, the Naka river in the forest. Apparently he had long since recovered and had been waiting for Hinata's visit.

She couldn't meet in public with Itachi anymore due to the burning tension between their two clans, and for whatever reason, Shisui was in on this too.

"That should be the last of your concerns right now." She chastised, and turned towards Itachi, "I know my clan better than anyone, and no one is more conservative than a Hyuuga. All this has fallen into place_ too_ perfectly, and_ too_ quickly."

"Hinata, it wasn't quick," Shisui muttered.

"You've been involved and distracted in the whole process. I think there's an outside factor."

"You weren't even here! I hope you aren't falling prey to clan honor like the Uchiha have."

"No. I really think someone wants to destroy Konoha."

"Another conspiracy theory!" Shisui threw his arms up. "We've got more important matters on hand. I'm going to meet with Danzo-sama now."

Itachi gave Shisui a hard look. "Be careful. Danzo's methods of preserving Konoha could very well destroy it."

"He wants peace, I want peace! He's loyal, I'm loyal, he knows I'm loyal, so it'll work out!" Shisui flippantly waved him off, then his voice turned serious. "He's our best chance. Our only option is the elimination of the Uchiha altogether, but Danzo-sama knows that would significantly weaken Konoha. He may be one to sacrifice a smaller number to save a larger number, but if it's unnecessary, he won't do it, because in the end, he works towards saving the_ most_ lives. I have no doubt that includes saving the Uchiha, so if he has a better solution as to how to do that, he will tell me. He has experience, ROOT, and more insight than any of us, so I can't risk the chance if he might know how to save _everyone_. I've known him a decade longer than you have, Itachi. Please believe in him."

Itachi felt his stomach convulse at his friend's pleading voice. There were no words, no retort Itachi could muster up. His mouth parted and he couldn't even squeak. Closing his eyes, he relented. "Come back soon, Shisui."

"I'll be back sooner than you think," and Shisui vanished before their eyes, his mastery of the Body Flicker evident now. Best in Konoha.

Hinata watched him leave, wondering how fast his body flicker was compared to hers in Sage Mode. Then, her thoughts wandered. Shisui was like Naruto, with that fake aloofness. It didn't work on calming her nerves when he switched tones, and as she looked at Itachi, she found she also couldn't assess its effect on him.

"Hinata, I…I'm sorry."

Hinata, surprised she'd ever hear an apology coming from Itachi, bit her lip shut from asking what he was sorry for, waiting.

"Shisui is being optimistic, thinking Danzo sees something we do not. Danzo may have Konoha's best interests in mind, but even he isn't a miracle worker, nothing he can do will stop our coup."

Itachi walked over and placed his hand on Hinata's head, stroking her ears the same way he did with the Uchiha cats, and emitting from her a purr despite their precarious position. Itachi almost smiled.

He could feel the raw power she had in her animal features. There was no doubt she had the strength of a Hokage, and at age nine, nonetheless. It would have been an achievement to be revered worldwide, if they weren't put in such a tight situation.

He stroked behind her ears, intently watching her blush, whether in shame, embarrassment, or infatuation, he couldn't decide.

"If we go through with this, I will spare the children and innocents. Including Sasuke. None of them will learn of the truth,"

_Because that either dishonors the Uchiha clan, or turns them against Konoha._

"Shisui will help me. You're the only other one that knows, so make sure the secret doesn't leak." His eyes softened, pleadingly, apologetically. "Take care of Sasuke."

_Oh, he's apologizing because he's placing Sasuke under my responsibility?_ Reluctantly, Hinata nodded once. She didn't need him to say it out loud. The training sessions she'd spent on Sasuke had warmed him up to her. She clenched her fists. _Was this his plan all along_? That was impossible. All this started way before anything happened. He couldn't have predicted it. His intention was probably an attempt to get her accustomed to her future brother-in-law. None of that matters now.

"He will be the one to kill me. Do not try to stop him," Itachi smiled. "But that's not a problem. You'd be the last person to stop his revenge. It'll be easy on you. You have no affection or love reserved for me, and out of everyone, you'd be the most relieved person when I die."

Mutely, Hinata looked down, her eyes starting to burn with tears. It was true. As always, he saw through her. He knew she'd do anything for Naruto, and Itachi has been the roadblock to Naruto this whole time.

Even now, she was elated. Happy. If she could control her emotions as easily as she hid them, she'd have long crushed that selfish, dangerous weakness.

Hinata felt her chest burn. _Why am I so excited that the Uchiha are going to die? Why?! Am I evil?!_

She felt his hands latch onto her shoulders and squeeze, and she tensed further. "Hinata, I know what you're thinking," he said slowly, and Hinata shivered, his hands feeling the full extent of her vibration.

His finger moved under her chin and tilted her head up, wet eyes looking into Itachi's spinning wheel eyes. "Because of this, you'll get to spend all the time you want with Naruto. No war, no betrothal, no Uchiha."

She hissed in shame and frustration. Leave it to Itachi to voice everything out loud.

"However, do not forget the sacrifice I made. Everything I did, made your enjoyment possible."

Hinata reared back, repulsed. He was speaking as if he'd already killed everyone. Perhaps he had.

_'Course not. It's just Itachi's superior persuasion skills. _

She bristled, and cried, her mental barrier torn apart. If he tried to kill her now, she wouldn't have stopped him, feeling he had every right to hate her. _In fact, please do._

She missed the sharp smirk on his face, as Itachi slid his hands behind her back and head, and held her in a close, falsely protective hug, pressing her sobbing face to his chest, and stroking her cat ears with her hair.

It felt like being embraced by a cold robotic puppet.

Nonetheless, it was rare human contact, aside from her carefully calculated touches of Naruto, so she relished, burying her face a little deeper than she should have, hugging him a little tighter than she intended, and ignoring the feeling he would be using _guilt_ against her.

* * *

><p>日<p>

* * *

><p>日<p>

* * *

><p>"Even if you use your visual jutsu on Fugaku to get the clan to cooperate, what if the village doesn't change?" Danzo monotoned.<p>

"But Hokage-sama promised-"

"Even if Sarutobi is satisfied with the change, the distrust among Konoha will not go away,"

"I realize that. But in time-"

"Besides, someone who's always suspicious, like me, will never change. What will you do then?"

"But, Danzo-sama—"

"When the time comes, will you use your Kotoamatsukami on me too?" Danzo slowly looked up and dropped his walking stick, he was moving toward Shisui.

"Ummm, yeah about that—" Shisui didn't even get the chance to explain that his mind-control dojutsu could only be used once per decade and he'd already used it on Naruto because Danzo kept interrupting!

"Your Sharingan…shall be in my safekeeping!" Danzo's hand shot towards Shisui's face, but froze as his wrist was grabbed. He completely slumped, and was released.

"It's just a genjutsu; you'll snap out of it in a few minutes," Shisui reassured as he turned to leave.

Activating the Izanagi, Danzo voided the reality and beat Shisui up before tearing off Shisui's useless eye. _Ow!_

Shisui flipped back and witnessed Danzo inserting the Sharingan into his empty eye socket, medical ninjutsu or prepared fuuinjutsu automatically connecting the nerves.

"I'm going to take it to replace this eye. Give me the other one too!" ANBU showed up.

_Oh shit, gotta hit and run! _"Katon: **_Gokakyu_** no jutsu!"

"Suiton: **_Mizurappa_**!"

The mist evaporated, and Shisui was long gone.

* * *

><p>日<p>

* * *

><p>"Is that you, Shisui?"<p>

"Over here." Shisui returned with one eye missing. Hinata held back a gasp. "Danzo-sama took my right eye, which was, uh, pointless for him, because…" He shot a look at Hinata, watching the implications dawn upon her face. She bristled, and Shisui gulped.

_Well, might as well go the whole way, right?_ "Hinata, if you hurt Konoha, Naruto will hate you. If you become Hokage, Naruto will love you. So protect Konoha."

Hinata's eyebrows furrowed intensely, her glare intensifying with her byakugan activated. But she didn't look surprised, perhaps she had already known. But to have it confirmed right to her face that he'd already mind-controlled Naruto's will? Her glare intensified as her breaths heated. Remaining a second longer and an eye wasn't going to be the only thing Shisui would have lost that day. She knew she'd regret torturing Shisui to death because circumstances grouped them onto the same side, and Hinata wasn't one to shoot her own foot, so with all the self-control the Hyuuga was famous for, she pivoted and stormed off, nothing more than a dark cloud of rage glooming over her head.

Shisui turned towards Itachi, and grabbed his shoulder. "Oi Itachi! Stop staring at your fiancé," _she already left_.

Getting Itachi's attention back, although Shisui was starting to regret it because Itachi was holding back a grimace of shame at his missing eye, Shisui spoke seriously. "It's too late to stop the coup d'état by the Uchiha. If civil war breaks out in the Leaf Village, other nations are sure to attack, which means full-scale war. The Kotoamatsukami was already used on Naruto, so the only solution was for the two of us to kill the Uchiha…But I had hesitated, hoping Danzo would have a better solution, and now, without my right eye, I don't have the capacity to assist you in your mission. You'll have to bear this burden yourself…"

Itachi panicked. In another timeline where Hinata was weak, he would have known Madara to offer him assistance, and kept himself controlled. But in this universe, he didn't have access to Madara's help, and he couldn't kill hundreds of Uchiha by himself. The most he could manage is half the clan. His fists curled, his heatbeat sped, and skipped. There was one other person, the one who'd just left, and he didn't want to resort to her.

Shisui looked at Itachi with his remaining eye. "He doesn't trust me. He intends to protect the Village in his own way, no matter what it takes or how it looks. I suspect he'll come after my left eye as well, so I want to give it to you before he has a chance." With his fingers, he pulled his last eyeball out, and offered it towards Itachi.

_No, don't, Shisui._

"You're the only person I can count on, my best friend. Please protect this Village…and the honor of the Uchiha name."

The wind blew, and Itachi's crows took it off his hands. Ignoring the urge to choke his intestines out, he resolved, "I accept it. What will you do now?"

"If I die, several circumstances will change." _You'll gain the Mangekyou from my death. "_With your new eyes, you'll take on all the suspicion; I've left behind a suicide note already." Shisui stepped precariously over the cliff's edge, plummeting into the waterfall.

"Wait, Shisui!"

_Don't stop me, Itachi, if you're my friend…_

His hand reached out, failing to grab the older Uchiha's. "Shisui!"

As Shisui fell into the abyss, Itachi's tomoe jagged into the Mangekyou Sharingan.

_You're still my least favorite cousin._

* * *

><p>日<p>

* * *

><p>The leaves crushed, and Hinata stepped from behind the tree she was peeking from. She had been spying on them the same way she always did to Naruto, giving them their personal space. Apparently, she had also been up to no good, the way her white eyes flew about anywhere but at Itachi.<p>

Itachi paused, casting her a sidelong glance with his newly evolved eyes, and Hinata felt her cat-instincts scream at her to run, that a second longer and she'd regret it for the rest of her life, if she still had a lifespan by then.

She steeled herself. It wasn't _her_ instinct, it was an _animal's_, and Hinata was above that. She turned her Byakugan on and stared him down, ignoring the rising of her ears and tail.

"Hinata…" Itachi echoed Shisui, knowing now it would have the greatest effect. "You're the only person I can count on, my fiancé. Please protect this Village…and the honor of the Uchiha name."

She shivered. He didn't have to ask. It was the equivalent of her asking Itachi to protect Sasuke.

"I retract my earlier promise, things have changed with Shisui's death; I will kill as many as possible, including the innocents, civilians, and children. There will be absolutely no witness accounts of your contribution."

His Mangekyou Sharingan seemed hypnotizing, he stared into her soul, reading how far he could push her.

"Only one of us has to shoulder the blame. Everyone but Sasuke will die, ensuring no one will know you pulled the other curtain halfway over the clan's stage. You'll have a chance to inherit your clan, live a normal life, with _Naruto_ as you wish," he sounded almost disgusted at her. _Perhaps he is._

He reached back, slowing drawing out his tanto, and holding it out for her to take. The blade glistened, and she saw her reflection.

"Hinata, assist me in the Uchiha Massacre."

* * *

><p>日<p> 


	27. Chapter 27

死

* * *

><p>Itachi had her duped.<p>

Itachi was still injured.

Itachi's ribs still fragile.

Itachi's speed still slow.

Itachi was only going to kill 25% of the Uchiha, leaving 75% to Hinata.

Hinata punched the acupuncture dummy bag, utterly destroying it into ashes. Itachi was going to kill the weaker ones; the amateur chuunin, the genin, the old people, the toddlers. Then, Itachi was going to kill his parents and terrify Sasuke.

Hinata was going to kill everyone else, the Uchiha Military Police, the jounin, the stronger chuunin.

_I always wanted a test run of Sage Mode, but never like this._

_My first human kills will be people I'm politically familiar with, shinobi from Konoha, allies of my own clan._

…Hinata sighed forlornly.

…_The things I do for Naruto._

_Assist me, _he had said.

Itachi had her duped.

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>Danzo clenched his cane. "You will leave no other survivors, or I'll give the task to someone else who will no doubt kill Sasuke as well."<p>

Itachi slowly nodded, not saying he was already plotting to do that. Neither was he going to inform Hinata he'd have done that even without her help. Guilt was quite useful for manipulation, and he needed all he can get over the future Hokage. _Although, that might have been pushing it a bit_.

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>Hinata entered the abandoned laboratory hidden underground behind sealed sewers. It was formerly one of Orochimaru's, and she was certain this one was undiscovered given how everything was still neatly in place, albeit gathering dust.<p>

She pulled out a scroll detailing the Caged Bird Seal and began to work.

If she could just figure out how to undo the seal, the Uchiha would hesitate in their coup de'tat. She didn't like the feeling of innocents dying because of her, so at least this could buy some time.

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>"Come again?! What do you mean you can't participate in the assembly?" Fugaku yelled. "I don't really think you understand your position."<p>

"I'm setting out for a mission tomorrow."

"For what?!"

"I can't tell you. The mission is covert."

"Itachi, you also serve as the Uchiha clan's pipeline to the village's nerve center. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Well, make sure you don't forget it. You_ will_ be at that meeting tomorrow."

Itachi raised his head, "Sasuke, use the bathroom and go to sleep."

The tatami door creaked open, a tiny voice acquiescing, "'Kay."

"What are you doing roaming the house at this hour? Get to bed!" Fugaku yelled.

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>"Tch!" Hinata crumbled the stacks of notes into her hands, burning all trace of it with a blue chakra flame. It was hopeless. She almost learned how to undo the technique but it'd cause an uproar in the branch house, and besides, it wasn't going to work on the deadset Uchiha.<p>

Her hands clenched into fists, her body shaking, "W-Why am I wasting my time? N-Naruto could d-die." Saying that aloud stopped her shaking, and with a determined look in her eyes, she set to work on a different goal.

_Chemistry._

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>"Father only cares about you, Itachi," Sasuke pouted.<p>

"You probably hate me now. It's alright, people often think ill of shinobi, it's only logical."

_ He's right though, I do. I do feel that way._

"Heh. Being the best isn't all it's cracked up to be. When you have power, you become arrogant and isolated from the world, no matter how coveted and sought after in the beginning. But with us, it's different, because you and I are flesh and blood. I'm always going to be there for you, even only as an obstacle for you to overcome...even if you hate me. That's what big brothers are for."

* * *

><p>"Is Itachi in there?! We need to talk, get out here!"<p>

Itachi stepped out, "What's going on? What are you all doing here?"

"There are two people who didn't show up at yesterday's assembly. Do you wanna tell me why you weren't there?!"

Sasuke watched.

"You're in the ANBU black ops now. I know full well you could be called away at the drop of the hat. And that's the case your father was trying to make when we asked why you weren't there."

"But we're not your father. You won't be getting any special treatment from us."

Itachi closed his eyes. "I understand. I should have been more careful. Will that be all, gentleman?"

"Sure thing, but you know what, before we go, there's just one other thing."

"Hn?"

"Do you know anything about Shisui Uchiha ending his life at the Naka River?"

"Shisui was that other guy who never turned up at the assembly yesterday. It's funny. If I remember correctly, you kinda looked up to him like an older brother, didn't you?"

"...How terrible. Forgive me, I haven't seen him at all recently." He lowered his voice. "What a tragedy."

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>Seven cats sat lined up, watching Hinata work through the dark, goggles shielding her powerful eyes.<p>

The orange preservation jell swished in the eleventh jar as she set it aside on the lab table.

"What are you planning, Hina-hime?" Koneko asked.

"Heh," she straightened her back, "Something you'll have a hand in."

Pushing her oak chair back, she stood up.

"I'm going to kill the Uchiha, take their _eyes,_ and leave_._"

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>"At this point the Military Police has no other choice but to launch an all-out investigation into the matter."<p>

"Investigation?"

"This is the note Shisui left behind. We already had it analyzed. There's no question this was his handwriting."

"But if it wasn't homicide, why the investigation?"

"It would be no great feat for someone who possesses the Sharingan to copy his handwriting."

Itachi opened the note.

_I'm tired of the duties..._  
><em>There is no future for the Uchiha and for me...<em>  
><em>I cannot walk out the "path" any more..<em>

_Shisui_

"The most talented of all our clan, feared as Shisui the teleporter. He was a man who would do anything, take any mission, if it was for the good of the clan."

"Hard to imagine a man like that ending his life, don't you think?"

"You shouldn't judge people by their appearance, or by your own preconceptions."

"We'll leave that with you for the time being. Take it to ANBU, put in a request for them to start sniffing around this as well."

"Understood."

"Let's just hope we get a lead on this soon."

"By the way, we have our own connections inside the ANBU. You try and sweep this investigation under the rug, and we're gonna know about it."

"Why don't you just come out and say it?" Itachi crushed the note, turning his Sharingan on. "You believe I had a hand in this, don't you?"

Inabi matched eyes. "Yeah, that's right, _you little punk._"

Yashiro threatened, "Listen Itachi, if I find out you betrayed this clan, I want you to know, you'll pay for it!"

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>Hinata sealed the pickle jars inside storage scrolls, and sealed those into a larger one. She tossed the scroll towards the cats and stuffed her hands in her thick Hyuuga jacket pockets, hunching her shoulders and taking the secret route out.<p>

It was time to visit Naruto.

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>The three police officers laid there, beaten to the ground, Itachi standing above them.<p>

"Like I said before, appearances and preconceptions aren't going to tell you anything. For instance, you've made the mistake of assuming I'm a patient man. The clan...the clan, you overestimate your own abilities, with no idea of the depth of my own. And look at you now, groveling in the dirt."

"Shisui...Shisui had been keeping an eye on you recently; the contract with the Hyuuga, and the reappearance of sealed Uchiha, it all started after your time into ANBU, it was impossible to overlook your suspicious behavior. What the hell are you playing at, you filthy little wretch?"

His Sharingan convulsed. "Obsessed with the organization, obsessed with the clan, obsessed with our linage, the worthless compulsion that enslaves us, and limits our capabilities, leaving us to fear what you don't understand."

"Stop it Itachi!" It was Fugaku. "What on earth is the matter with you?! Itachi, you've been strange lately."

"Nothing's strange about me, I have my own duties to fulfill, that's all."

"So what's your story, why didn't you come last night?"

"...To achieve the next state."

"What?"

He thrust a kunai to the Uchiha crest at the stone compound wall, cracking it. "I've had enough, there's no hope left for this pathetic clan. The people of this clan are all the same. You focus on the trivial and lose sight of what's most important. Change is impossible, in this fog of ignorance. How can we evolve when regulation is all we know?"

Fugaku helped the others up, "Such arrogance!"

"That's enough! If I hear one more word of this nonsense, I'll have you thrown behind bars!"

"Well, what's it gonna be? I can't take this anymore, please sir, just give me the order!"

Sasuke yelled, "Big brother, you have to stop!"

Itachi froze. How could he have forgotten? He kneeled, pressing his head to the ground. "I'm not the one who killed Shisui, but I apologize for the words I have spoken. I'm truly sorry."

Fugaku stared, surprised. Then, he sighed. "He's been tired lately. It's the stress from his ANBU missions."

"But Captain!"

Fugaku growled, "ANBU are under the direct control of the Hokage. Even if you wanted to arrest one of them, you would need to get a warrant first. As for Itachi, I take full responsibility for him." He inclined his head. "You have my word."

"Very well, sir," they relented.

When they all moved on, Sasuke glimpsed his brother suddenly shoot his father a murderous look with sickle eyes.

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>"Naruto, let me upgrade your collar."<p>

"Eh?"

Hinata took his collar and inscribed tracking fuuinjutsu inside the leather with her finger. Then, she inscribed a durability seal, and a few more things.

"What are you doing, Hina-chan?"

"Just taking precautions. There are certain places where my cats live, that you can't enter without this special collar. Sometimes, for the particularly more sacred areas, I have to wear one of my own."

Naruto burst out laughing, "You wear a collar that says that you're your own pet?!" He wiped at his tears. "That's hilarious!"

Hinata blushed in a mixture of embarrassment and adoration.

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>"Now then, that's my boy. You've done well, work hard and you're bound to soar high, and bring honor to the crest you wear at your back."<p>

Sasuke watched his father in awe, his lungs still filled with smoke. "I will!"

"From now on, walk your own path. Not in the footsteps of your brother."

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>"N-Naruto, let me hug you, one more time," she sounded stressed.<p>

"Eh? But you already hugged me ten times already, Hina-chan!" Don't get him wrong, he loved the attention, but this was too weird!  
>Hinata looked determined, "Just one more, then I'll leave."<p>

"No don't go! Ar-" Naruto relaxed inside her embrace, gently sliding his hands behind her back and awkwardly holding her back.

He could have sworn he heard her whisper something about 'reassuring herself of what she was fighting for.'

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>Itachi was putting his shoes on.<p>

"Nii-san! Do you think you could help me out with my shurikenjutsu after school today?"

"No, I can't, I'm busy. Why don't you go ask father to help you?"

"Aw c'mon! You're way better at the shurikenjutsu than father is, even I can see that..." Sasuke looked up. "Nii-san, why do you always treat me like a pest?" His eyes widened as Itachi waved him over, only to jab him in the forehead.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke, some other time, okay?"

"Hnn."

Itachi looked down, regretful. "I don't have time for this today."

Sasuke rubbed his forehead, muttering a complaint. As Itachi departed, Sasuke allowed a relieved smile.

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>"Naruto, let me walk you to school," Hinata insisted.<p>

Naruto gaped. Then, a smile blossomed. "YATTA!"

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>After dropping off Naruto, she noticed Sasuke standing alone at the courtyard, practicing with his shuriken.<p>

_Tch_, she sped off before Itachi's little brother caught sight of her.

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>"You're late, Hinata."<p>

She crossed her arms, glaring back defiantly.

"You know how important today is," he threatened calmly, "After tonight, there will no longer be any Military Police to thoroughly analyze the death states. The ANBU will investigate 'in name only,' because the Hokage knows the truth. Regardless, I advise you not to use your jyuuken techniques. Only your speed, and my tanto."

She looked aside. She was about to have her first human kills, and she didn't like it.

He showed her his trademark slicing technique. "Make your own variations; they won't investigate too deeply after Sasuke's confession."

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>Hinata snapped her fingers, and her animal features popped out. Her white eyes tinted a slight green shade. She had turned on Sage Mode. She pulled on a black cloak, pulling the hood over her head and concealing her cat features. Her chakra channeled up Itachi's tanto.<p>

Her targets were more difficult, but that only ensured she'd get her payment of dojutsu.

_Morals? _

_What was that?_

_Byakugan!_ Sage Mode combined with her dojutsu was a powerful thing. She could see every detail, where every object is hidden, where everyone was sleeping or hiding. Even the tiny knives a Military Police member hid within the soles of his shoes, or the knives hidden in the rim of another's glasses. She knew if she expanded it, she could see the entire village, although she didn't want to test her brain's information absorption limits at such a crucial time.

After mentally measuring and calculating the best path to take, the shortest path to get the most adult Uchiha dead on _her_ larger side of the compound, she set off to kill.

* * *

><p><em>Slash. Slash. <em>

_Slash. Stab. _

_Slice. Cut. _

_Cut. Stab._

_Behead. _

_Eight people per second._

_5 minutes. _

_Before they realize what's happening, or get an opportunity to weave a hand seal. _

_Get the brain, or the heart. Preferably both, just to be safe. _

About a hundred deaths, and Hinata was splattered utterly in blood. She stuck her finger in her mouth, licking off the warm sour taste and cleaning her finger. Like a cat licking its paw.

When her finger was completely dry, she sunk a small fang into the tip, drawing out her own blood. Her other hand slid a small scroll out its sleeve, and tossed it to the air.

The scroll unrolled itself, and Hinata slashed her finger through the paper trail.

An explosion of smoke, and forty collared cats appeared.

"_Take everything._"

She smirked.

"If we don't, someone else will."

They scattered.

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>A dark figure perched on the top of the telephone pole, silhouette contrasting the moon, owl eyes watchful and alight.<p>

Sasuke stopped, panting, and looked up, seeing no one there. Sasuke's eyes darted around, no one was in the streets either. It wasn't_ that l_ate.

Then, everyone was suddenly there, _everywhere_. Sasuke kept running, finding more and more people, all motionless, collapsed on pools of blood. _Dead_. Some without eyes.

_Uncle, auntie?! _

__Who could be this cruel?_ _

_OHNO, father and mother!_

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>Cats were reverse summoning themselves back to the hideout to drop their visual orbs into the preservation chemical.<p>

One cat accidentally bit too hard, and that disgusted the other cats.

"Don't use ya teeth, ya idiot!" another cat scolded.

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>"Foolish little brother. I almost pity you." <em>Mangekyou Sharingan: Tsukuyomi.<em>

"OWWWWWWW!" Sasuke collapsed, drooling, unable to believe the vision he was just shown. He couldn't fathom any of it, none of it made sense. "Why?! Why did you do this? Why?"

"To test the limits of my ability."

"To test your ability? That's why you did this? You're telling me that was why you butchered them?"

Itachi closed his eyes. "It is of great importance."

"What are you saying?! You're outta your mind!" Sasuke picked himself up, charging into him, only to get punched in his gut. He fell to his knees, and cried.

When Itachi stepped towards him, he ran for his life. _I'm scared!_ _I don't wanna die!_

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>"AHAHAHAAHAHAH," Insane laughter echoed through the underground laboratory. She placed another seal onto the jar stuffed of Sharingan. The fur of all the cats raised.<p>

"I feel really _creepy_."

Koneko tilted its ears, "You really are."

Her grin only widened. "I'm finally finished! _He's_ gone and there's no war! He's safe-He's-ahaahaha," Hinata clutched her stomach, crossing her legs and leaning forward. "NARUTO IS MINE!"

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>When Itachi intercepted him, Sasuke built up his courage to shout, "It's a lie! This isn't like you, aniki. Can't be!"<p>

"I have acted as your older brother for one reason: because I wanted to discover how powerful you were."

Sasuke's eyes enlarged.

"I needed to find a worthy opponent to test the limits of my own abilities. You have that unique potential. Now I've made you hate me, now you have the desire to defeat me, which is exactly why I'm going to allow you to live. Don't you see? It's all for my own benefit. Like me, you may be one of the few who can use mangekyou Sharingan. But there is a catch."

Sasuke stared.

"Take the life of your best friend. You must kill him!"

"No, that's a lie.."

"Kill him, just like I did."

"You're saying that was you, Itachi? You killed Shisui?"

"I did. How else did you think I attained these powers?" Itachi gazed back at him with his Mangekyo. "In the main hall of the Naka Shrine, underneath the 7th tatami mat in the far right, is the clan's secret meeting place. Ther, you will find a secret document, an explanation of the Uchiha clan's jutsu. It tells of the Visual Jutsu's true purpose."

Itachi smiled. "If you discover how to activate it, you will be the **_second_** person to attain the Mangekyou Sharingan, including myself. To ensure that happens, that's enough reason to let you live. Well, that's all."

He turned to leave, but when Sasuke cringed, Itachi looked annoyed. "Oh don't worry, you're not even worth killing. My foolish little brother, if you wish to kill me one day, in hate, and revenge, survive in such an unsightly manner as this. By all means, flee. Cling to your wretched life, and then one day, when you possess the same eyes," He cast a final genjutsu onto Sasuke. "Come back and face me."

Sasuke collapsed.

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>Hinata discarded her cloak, and entered Naruto's apartment for the second time that night, stinking of blood.<p>

"H-Hinata-chan?!"

Hinata raised an eyebrow. "You're still awake, this late?"

"You're hurt!" Naruto looked worried.

His concern made her feel proud, made tonight all worth it. She nodded, and lied. "Yes, I am."

She doubted she had any psychological damage, Naruto outweighed it all. She was content with just watching him. "C-Can I hug you, again?" She blushed.

Naruto scrunched up his nose. "Shower first!"

Hinata smiled.

**Freedom was a beautiful sight.**

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>Danzo went to collect some Sharingans for his right arm. When the corpses he searched had empty eye sockets, he furiously screamed. "DAMN YOU ITACHI!"<p>

* * *

><p>死<p>

* * *

><p>Tobi chuckled in the dark. He didn't have the risk of Itachi on his trail as he had originally believed. As far as anyone was concerned, he didn't exist.<p>

* * *

><p>死<p> 


	28. Chapter 28

风

* * *

><p><em>"I KNEW IT! YOUR CLAN IS TREACHEROUS!" The man gasped through his punctured lung. "You want our Sharingan, that's why you kidnapped our Uchiha. Now you kill us, right before we expose that truth to the public and fight back!" <em>

_Then Hinata was him, Hinata stuck in his body, watching someone else of a mirror image of herself chuckle sadistically and slowly reach over her lids and tear our her Byakugan, or was it Sharingan? She couldn't see, she screamed, she cried, she burned._

* * *

><p>风<p>

* * *

><p>Hinata snapped awake, drenched in sweat, panting hard and almost tearing the blankets under her iron grip. She made no sound, looked no further, and forced herself back to sleep.<p>

_Or tried to_.

...

Hinata was special, she could easily force herself asleep whenever she wanted, however she wanted, she knew this. Staying up all night in terror would do no good for her eyes and most certainly decrease her critical thinking abilities and vivacity. She needed it all to keep up with Naruto.

But she was still tense, her nervous system won't stop producing adrenaline.

Why?!

The she heard it.

_Peck. _

_Peck. _

_Peck._

She thrust her covers to the far side of the room and hopped off the bed, approaching the window and pulling it open.

A crow hopped in, and Hinata wasn't surprised, albeit annoyed. Must've been Itachi's messenger. Just when she has a hard time dealing with reminders of_ that day_, he just had to...

Just when she was certain to never see him again...

It was the last straw. Hinata snapped, "WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS BUTTING INTO MY LIFE?! EVEN WHEN YOU'RE NOT THERE, ITACHI!"

Then the crow cocked its head to the side, revealing the eye of Shisui.

Hinata fainted.

* * *

><p>..Well, that was one way to get back to sleep.<p>

* * *

><p>When dawn broke, Hinata pulled herself from,<em> the floor? Did I manage to fall off? <em>

She felt something tugging at her hair and turned to see the crow perched on her shoulder chewing her locks. Remembering last night, she groaned.

The crow hopped off her shoulder and flew out the window. Resisting the urge to shut it out, Hinata watched as it returned no more than ten seconds later, with two scrolls.

She opened the first scroll.

_My friend, _

_Send me ten eyes, you can't hide anything from me.  
><em>

_Keep Shisui's, but do not remove it from the crow, _

_Instead, sign this scroll, it is your only way to contact me,  
><em>

_Were something to happen to my brother. _

_Should you refuse, I'll torture you before killing you. _

_-Weasel _

Hinata stared at the letter, before burning it with a blue flame. She snatched the other scroll out the bird's mouth, reopened the wound on her finger, and scrawled her signature in the century old paper. Then, she tossed it to the floor, and walked out the door, ignoring the indignant expression on the bird.

* * *

><p>风<p>

* * *

><p>"Naruto, let's walk to school together," Hinata said.<p>

"Hina-chan, what's wrong? You look...sad!"

Hinata blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah! You look ramen-starved! Let's go to Ichiraku's before class!"

* * *

><p>风<p>

* * *

><p>Hinata picked at the miso ramen with her chopsticks. So this was Naruto's favorite food.<p>

She sniffed it and slurped some into her mouth. Naruto excitedly leaned to her ear, "Well- how is it Hina? Is it good is it good DATTEBAYO!"

"I-I-" Hinata swallowed, her eyes watering. "I-It's good."

* * *

><p>风<p>

* * *

><p>"Welcome back to class, uh, Hinata-chan," Iruka-sensei greeted hesitatingly, checking off her name in the attendance list beside the constant rows of X's. Beside him, Mizuki-sensei smiled reassuringly, his white hair hiding the intentional glint in his eyes. Every other student stared at her in awe and whispered.<p>

"T-Thanks," Hinata said, peeking at Naruto.

"The seat beside me is empty! Let's sit together Hina-chan!" Then Naruto looked at her with fear of rejection.

Hinata felt her stomach flutter. "Y-Yeah."

She was so used to interacting with adults concerning politics that her mind came up blank and she didn't know how to act around others her age, or to teachers.

* * *

><p>风<p>

* * *

><p>"Let's all review the clone jutsu," Iruka-sensei decided. "Naruto, why don't you come up first?"<p>

"Hinata-chan, you can take a break," Mizuki-sensei said.

Naruto puffed up his chest. "I GOT THIS!" Inside, he was freaking out. As he made it to the front of the classroom, he formed the hand seal. "Clone Jutsu!" A discombobulated version of himself appeared, and died.

Hinata watched with her Byakugan turned on. She could see the excess leakage coming from Naruto's belly, and the explosive failure of the jutsu. _He has too much chakra and not enough control._

When class ended, Hinata was waiting for Naruto at the exit.

* * *

><p>风<p>

* * *

><p>"Hinata, where are we going?" They were walking through the forest, Hinata pulling Naruto's hand along."<p>

"I wanna teach you an important technique, Naruto-kun." _Water-walking_. She hadn't considered Tree-Walking as the first step of the exercise. Hyuuga had a natural affinity for chakra control, and she forgot Naruto would have a harder time without the Byakugan.

"YATTA!"

They stopped upon the hill over the docks, a giant lake below them in the middle of a forest. Hinata froze, her hand squeezing onto Naruto's.

Sasuke was sitting at the end of the dock, his feet dangling over the still lake as he gazed longingly at his reflection.

A bolt of shame jabbed Hinata's chest.

* * *

><p><em>Flashback<em>

_"Stop, don't kill her!" He choked out on the verge of death, "Take my life instead! I'll give you both of my eyes!" _

_She thrust the tanto into his brain..."Shut up."_

* * *

><p>"Naruto, let's go."<p>

"W-What? But-"

"We can do this next time."

"Oi, isn't Sasuke-teme there?" If Naruto were alone, he would've walked right past Sasuke, outwardly ignoring him while inwardly sharing a bond with him. But with Hinata so determinedly avoiding Sasuke, Naruto's buried feelings surfaced. "I don't wanna! I wanna face Sasuke!" Naruto fistpumped. "Ya know, Sasuke-teme doesn't own the lake! What, are ya gonna teach me a super cool water jutsu?!" Naruto hopped excitedly. "Don't let Sasuke stop ya!"

Hinata froze. "I...You're right, let's g-" Hinata heard a splash, and looked to see that Sasuke had jumped into the lake. _If he's thinking about Itachi, I have to avoid him._ She forgot about the risk of Sasuke drowning, instead changing her mind. "No, wait, I have a better technique to teach you. Let's go to your place."

"YATTA! Hina-chan coming to my house! Dattebayo! Let's go!" Naruto grabbed her hand and ran home so fast, that Hinata had to move chakra to her feet to keep up.

* * *

><p>风<p>

* * *

><p>Naruto sat, focused, reading the same scroll for the B-Rank Shadow Clone technique.<p>

He kept asking Hinata questions and translations and about parts he didn't understand. Hinata gladly obliged.

Then, Naruto made a cross hand seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

The whole room became stuffed with solid clones, which made Naruto's apartment even more of a mess.

When they dispelled, Hinata sweatdropped. _He mastered the technique faster than I did._ A smile broke across her face, and she reached over, pulling Naruto into a bone-crushing hug. Again.

When Hinata returned home, her eyes were less forlorn.

* * *

><p>风<p>

* * *

><p><em>Somewhere, hidden someplace...<em>

Shisui Uchiha struggled in his bindings._ Dammit, the chakra suppressors just keep getting stronger. I can't see_. He opened his coarse mouth. "Let me _go_!"

"S-Sorry, I can't let you die, just yet."

"H-Hinata?" He couldn't see.

"You can't revive a person who isn't dead."

"What?"

"Tch. Have you heard of Orochimaru?"

"WHAT?! You're keeping me alive and locked up under the excuse of keeping my 'soul' off someone else's hands?! You're sick! Insane! Atrocious!" Shisui wiggled, trying to break free out of whatever he was bondaged in. It felt like handcuffs, he couldn't reach an itch. Then, he felt a stinging slap against his cheek.

"Don't be selfish! We all want to suicide! But you have no need to die! What if, the future needs you?" She turned her back to him. "Someday, you'll return. But as far as the world is concerned, you no longer exist." She smirked. "See you in a few years."

Shisui heard her footsteps leave. _What are you expecting of me? Without my eyes, I'm as useless as the next civilian. _

He didn't know she had jars of them shoved in the kitchen cabinets of her cat summonverse.

Then again, at the time he also didn't know Uchiha cats could swim, and was proven wrong.

He frowned. In a few hours, he was going to be fed mice. This was much worse than dying. Shisui made an experimental bite on his tongue but some seal inscribed in his cheeks prevented that motion. He instead sighed.

* * *

><p>风<p> 


	29. Chapter 29

哭

* * *

><p>"I want my sister back."<p>

She was admitting defeat, and Neji Hyuuga had a smug smile on his face.

They faced each other, in the middle of an isolated training field, and the skies threatened to rain.

Neji could only laugh sinisterly. "_Who says she's still your sister?_"

* * *

><p>哭<p>

* * *

><p>"Oi Iruka-sensei!"<p>

"What is it now, Naruto?" His hand paused at the chalkboard.

"Do you think Hina-chan likes me more than Saku-chan?"

Iruka almost choked on his spit. "GAH-Don't ask something so personal!" he shouted out with a blush, spinning towards Naruto's face.

"C'mon pleaseeeee?" Naruto was tugging Iruka-sensei's pants and drooling on his chuunin vest.

"Alright alright! Stop slobbering over me, we're in class!" Iruka-sensei said, sweatdropping because every student in the classroom was just staring at them. He sighed and pushed Naruto off by his shoulders, and scratched his nose in thought. "Well...I wouldn't say," his eyes trailed to the collar resting on Naruto's neck and he had a bad feeling about this. _I'd rather Naruto like Sakura._ "Actually, Naruto, how about we go for ramen after class?"

"Wha? But I already promised Hina-"

"I've got that settled, Naruto," Iruka-sensei said firmly, shooting a look at Mizuki-sensei who was currently leaning against the end of the chalkboard, monitoring the class.

Mizuki's eyes met with Iruka's, and he got the message.

* * *

><p>哭<p>

* * *

><p>"Did you hear? Apparently the entire Uchiha clan was murdered."<p>

"Yeah, what's what my dad was telling me."

"They say that Sasuke is the only one who survived."

Sasuke bristled; didn't they realize they were talking about him right behind his back?

* * *

><p>哭<p>

* * *

><p>Mizuki-sensei leaned comfortably against the door, mulling over the question Naruto asked Iruka. His periwinkle eyes flickered towards the empty seat at the back of the classroom and then towards a seat at the front of the classroom occupied by a dignified pinkette.<p>

_Well whaddya know? The Yandere vs Tsundere..._

He thought about Iruka-sensei's unspoken request and snorted.

_Since when have I become so close to Iruka that we don't need words to communicate?_

_He wants some alone-time with the Fox, without risking Hinata's wrath on Naruto for having stood up their date. Alright then, I'll start sidetracking Hinata-chan. It will fit with my other plans. _

* * *

><p>哭<p>

* * *

><p>"It's too late, Hinata-<em>chan<em>," Neji Hyuuga's cold eyes and cold tone contrasted against her heated glare. "She's staying here," _with me_.

Hinata cracked her knuckles, cracking her neck and shooting him a deadly look. "Not if I kill you,"

Neji relaxed his chokehold over his facial muscles, settling his body into a gentle fist taijutsu stance. His mouth twisted into a vengeful smile. "I've always wanted to fight you,"

Hinata's eyes narrowed _Gentle Step_ she slid her foot back, positioning for a sprint, as Neji's byakugan activated, readying his 64-Trigrams technique.

Curling a hand into a fist, she sent invasive chakra to form a single lion fist, and sprinted towards him.

Neji's eyes widened, watching the sizable chakra-absorbing flame in Hinata's fist grow larger with their distance closing, and he instantly knew he was outmatched; not even his jyuuken techniques would work without it burning off his hands, but he had to try, or he'd lose his_ face_, no, his life, instead.

He was the only hope of the Branch division, he was _their_ prodigy, their future savior.

Hanabi was too, she was their icon, she had the same potential as Neji, if not evermore from her former heir status…but she was _weak_, vulnerable, she needed Neji to protect her. She was_ his_ little sister, not Hinata's…

And no matter what, Neji would protect her from Hinata.

Because he loved Hanabi, more than he hated Hinata.

In other words, he had to run.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Flashback:<strong>

* * *

><p>Hanabi was crying. She wailed, she'd dropped her glass cup of milk, and it shattered to bits on her bare feet.<p>

She was bleeding, and she was afraid to move or the shards would cut her more, and it hurt.

There would usually be a Hyuuga family servant to take care of it, or catch it before it fell, but, but…

Hanabi cried harder. _Father kicked me out of the family, father hates me because I lost to big sister.. Big sister hates me because I lost; big sister put the green thing on my forehead because she hated me. Those adults hate me because I lost; they stopped helping me and washing my clothes and making the bed for me because I lost._ _Father was so happy that I was stronger than her but I proved him wrong and I want to go home to hug Himawari_ (that was her stuffed rabbit._) _

Everyone forgot about her and assumed she was a branch member and branch members automatically joined the branch families. They figured, if they didn't adopt her, then their neighbor, or someone else, will.

Well, no one wanted a former Main House member.

Except for Neji Hyuuga.

That was weird; Neji hated the Main House more than anyone, so why would he take one in?

Neji lived alone, by the way.

Hanabi was so happy, she thought she was alone for good, but then Neji came and said comforting words and hugged her and said he would be her new big brother.

He also said mean stuff about Hinata but Hanabi didn't care because she'd been alone so long and she appreciated him so much that she'd tolerate his Hinata-bashing.

Neji took her to his home, and cooked food for her. He fed her, let her use his clothes, let her use his bed, and prepared hot water for her to bath in. Neji was so nice.

He had a mean face at first with even more mean smiles. His mean face lasted for two months before it slowly loosened and became utter ease over the course of the years. Every now and then he smiled nicely and he sounded softer and more comfortable. Sometimes, during the rarer times, he sounded desperate for her presence.

He told her his secrets. He told her about his days at the Academy. Occasionally he said something mean about Hinata.

He told her about a loser in his class who couldn't use ninjutsu or genjutsu. He told her the loser was bound to fail. He told her the loser was the dead last of the class, and he was the top student. He said it was fate.

Hanabi had clapped; she was happy Neji was so smart.

He also said it was fate that Hanabi would become his little sister.

Neji talked about fate a lot.

Sometimes he said it was fate for Hinata to die.

Hanabi had been horrified at first because Neji was never wrong and even though she knew Hinata was a bad person, she didn't want Hinata to die!

Instantly Neji said that wasn't fate and that Hinata won't die, she was too stubborn to die properly, she was a cheater and she'd surely find a way to cheat death or have someone else die in her place.

(Somehow, Neji managed to make Hinata sound bad both ways.)

After that, Hanabi doubted Neji's 'fate' was trustworthy.

Neji told her what happened to his dad. When Hanabi asked what happened to his mom, he said she wasn't important and talked about his dad instead. Neji said that his dad was her father's brother. He said they were twins, but his dad was 1 second younger than her father so he became his slave. He told her that later her father got into fatal trouble and 'found a way to cheat death' like he predicted Hinata would in the future. He said that her father substituted himself with his dad, so that his dad died in her father's place. He said her father killed his dad. He said it was fate for the Main House to use the Branch House like sacrificial tools, and he said that one day Hinata will sacrifice her to cheat death. Hinata would kill Hanabi. That would be parallelism with their parents.

Hanabi decided that fate was very mean.

Then Neji told her that he will do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn't happen. Neji will_ fight_ fate. Neji will die in Hanabi's place, even if that saved Hinata's life, if needed.

Neji would fight Hinata if she came to take her life for her own selfish gain.

If Hanabi was Hinata's meatshield for a fatal attack, Neji would jump in front of it.

But if there was a way for _both _him and Hanabi to live, he would rather take that instead, even if it meant killing Hinata with his bare hands—In fact, he'd be more than happy to.

Hanabi was a little creeped out by that but she still loved her nii-san so she nodded along and told him so.

They hugged. He ruffled her hair. He was very touchy and affective. He said that's what siblings are for.

Hanabi told him that her old family never condoned touching except for spars.

Neji said that the Main House was full of struck-up-pricks who were too arrogant to understand familial love. Then he forbade her from talking about it.

The next day, he changed his mind and told her she could talk about the Main House as much as she wants, so that he could point out all the errors in their ways. He wanted Hanabi to learn and become as smart as he is, after all.

Neji also tutored Hanabi, on some things he learned when he first started the Academy, on Hyuuga taijutsu techniques, on hand seals, on how to suppress chakra, and all kinds of life lessons. He tried to teach her to write, although she already knew how to write thanks to all those high-class teachers the Main House hired, so she ended up being his teacher for that part.

Neji told her that when she starts the Academy, she would be the top rookie student because of all his teachings. He was a brother she never had. She told him that and he instantly responded that he was 'a brother better than Hinata could ever be.'

Hanabi nodded, by now used to hearing her sister's name every other three sentences.

* * *

><p>(Back to present but still inside a flashback)<p>

* * *

><p>The tatami door slammed open, and her big brother was there in his white robe and uncovered forehead. He'd just gotten out of the shower, his hair still soaked wetly.<p>

His snowy optics zoomed to the blood at her feet and he was instantly crouched before her, carefully pulling the glass out. He even activated his byakugan for this, and set beside him was a first aid kit. She didn't see him grab it.

Carefully, he lifted her off the ground and placed her on the couch, before crouching down and meticulously removing the shards, with small metal clip tools when he was sure his hands were too large that using them would cause her extra pain. She bled and panicked and sobbed, but Neji kept whispering soothing words about her safety.

He disinfected her fastidiously, and held his breath.

He took her feet and carefully wrapped bandages around them.

In a way, this reminded Hanabi of back when there were branch servants doing this for her. It was nearly the same thing, but different, because it was Neji. He was more careful, much slower, and he wasn't just someone doing his job, he genuinely _cared_. He was her big brother.

Hanabi grinned and held out her hands.

Neji looked up and smiled, reaching over and giving her the hug she wanted.

* * *

><p>哭<p>

* * *

><p>Hanabi leapt from her hiding place and ran in front of the attack. Right in between them, facing her sister with her back to her brother, she held out her hands defensively, blocking Hinata's path.<p>

_'ttebayo! Too late! _Hinata tried to cancel her lethal technique and absorbed half its impact, while a smaller portion landed straight into Hanabi's stomach as Hinata tried to trip herself.

Her chakra system went haywire and she instantly passed out.

Hinata also fell back, flat on her side, gasping for breath. Her body burned all over, it felt like her every cell was dying from dehydration.

Neji's eyes were wide, he had frozen mid-run. Of course, of fucking course Hinata would be faster than him. She'd have killed him were it not for Hanabi's interference. Hanabi had known that.

He bit his lip, hard. _I suspected she would follow me here. I hoped she would, so she could see this for herself...but I never wanted her to do this…if she didn't, however, I wouldn't be alive to watch over her anymore; Hanabi has protected herself. _

Neji regained his composure, letting his arms fall to his side as he approached Hanabi, lifting her up with the utmost care and pulling her over his back, her chin on his shoulder and his hands underneath her thighs.

He took a few steps and peered down at Hinata's paralyzed body and wide eyes. He could only smile. "Well, well, you should see yourself, finally learning the concept of _fate_," he kicked her in the ribs, and she gasped.

A feeling of satisfaction welled up in his gut. He knew he'd never get a chance like this again, and if he was going to get in trouble for this already, he might as well go the whole way. So, with sucidial tendencies, his left foot streaked to her chest and he sat his rear to her abdomen, making some use of Hanabi's weight, tittering the edge of the highest amount of pain without death, his byakugan had its uses. She didn't scream in pain as he had hoped, but that was expected of their perfect heiress. Yet, a glob of blood choked out of her throat and he leaned his head to the side, dodging it. His smile widened.

"Don't you see why you cannot take your _former _sister back? The Branch House and the Main House can never unite. The same goes for you and Hanabi-imouto. You were destined to hurt her, thus, you don't deserve her, monster."

He was also afraid that as they grew older, their physical appearances would be indistinguishable. They were sisters, after all—their sole countenances differed the most due to their age gap.

It was a fear he had not needed to address immediately, unless on the off-chance an opportunity presented itself.

His other foot was pressed against the ground beside her, balancing the weight and the scene looked like he had won a trophy.

That opportunity was now.

The solution was simple, just kill her off, right now; this was his only chance, it would solve all his problems. It would be so easy, she was so vulnerable. He wouldn't be accused. Her injuries were of her own techniques, if someone investigated, it would be declared a training accident. The worst case scenario would be someone accusing a Main House member, which was even better.

His left heel slid higher and hovered over the windpipe of her neck, and she gasped. Her nails dug into her palms hard enough to draw blood, and she was pulling at the grass.

Neji could see her erratic heartbeat.

To be on the safe side, he could hide her body. Hinata-sama always disappeared at random intervals, sometimes away from weeks to months without a word. No one would be suspicious.

He pressed down slightly, and watched Hinata close her eyes, as if resigned to her fate.

She looked so peaceful. Relieved, satisfied, at ease. She wanted him to do it.

Neji didn't like it.

_Hah, she wants me to put her out of her misery?_

His eyebrows furrowed as he frowned, infuriated.

_You always win. _

_From the second you were born, you were destined to win. Even now, if I kill you, it would be your victory. I hate you so much. _

He stood up, carefully adjusting Hanabi over his back, and glared down at her lifeless eyes as they opened to him in expectation.

_I refuse to give you what you want. Heh, maybe I'll give you some responsibility. Guilt would be a better way to keep you away from us, or from retaliating. _

"She's barely clinging to life," Neji informed her, voice dripping with vermin, "If you killed her, I will make sure you kill yourself next," he promised.

His tongue stroked the bottom of his mouth, and he spat on her; the saliva slid down her cheek.

He walked the direction towards the Konoha General Hospital, and it started raining.

"Summoning Jutsu: Tsuneko," she whispered, and the ink seals underneath the palm of her undamaged hand streaked out across the glass as a drop of her blood vanished.

A puff of smoke, and a golden cat with tan stripes emerged. The rain battered down on Tsuneko's fur and he hissed, "I hate water!" Tsuneko then peered at his master's condition and instantly set his paws on her belly, a green glow adjusting her bones back into place and closing the worst of her injuries. "I can't heal ya anymore, almost out of chakra. You'll live, but get a _real _human medic nin for _real_ treatment."

Hinata tilted her head back to feel the drops of rain wash the blood off her chin and drench her clothes. "It's okay…" she whispered. "You can go back now."

Tsuneko was long accustomed to her eccentricity. No doubt she was going to lie there until the rain stopped. It wasn't wise, regarding her injuries but who was he to talk? Tsuneko scampered over, and licked his sandpaper tongue across her cheek, before he vanished.

Tsuneko didn't realize he shared an indirect kiss with Neji.

* * *

><p>哭<p>

* * *

><p>Author Note: I don't know what's up with this story. Every time I sit down to focus and write this, I usually get into some intense hour-long argument with my dad that ends up with me crying because I hate verbal fights but I also hate losing. Doesn't happen when I write my other stories, and everything was fine until now as I'm writing <em>this <em>story, once again. Creepy coincidence, right?


	30. Chapter 30

月

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author Note<span>**: I know how it feels to read a story which ends up so against your expectations that if you'd have known how it would have turned out, you wouldn't have read it. So, if you still have a tiny amount of hope left for this story, I will make sure it's not misplaced (by potentially crushing it?) Here's what happens.

If Hinata is too strong: she only has her Hyuuga Lion Fist technique and Cat Sage, that's it. Obito or even Itachi could solo her. Regardless, I _will not be_ weakening her underneath what she's already established because it's necessary for the PLOT to progress. If Hinata were as weak as her canon counterpart, or even just_ slightly_ weaker, she wouldn't have touched upon the Uchiha Massacre and note, this is VERY important for future storyline shifting events. For those of you who are willing to accept Hinata as who she is for the sake of the STORY, the later events and ripples will be worth the trouble.

Hinata _will not be_ a perfect lovable character with zero evidence of insanity and who only does good deeds with good morals. Anyone put in her situation would _crack _under the pressure and end up just like her, psychologically. She's not supposed to be_ likable_. Canon Hinata wants to walk beside Naruto, share the same nindo, never give up, etc.  
>Dark Hinata doesn't deserve that, so she only gets to walk behind Naruto, revering his nindo while knowing she'll never catch up. Which makes her merely roots to Naruto's leaves, despite their power difference. Like Danzo and Hiruzen.<p>

This will parallel what happens in the story; in the long run, Naruto will catch up and take on a role more important than the 5 Kages, after _unethical _acts committed behind his back by Hinata herself.

I'm not going to change my outline. It's more fun to write strong heroes who take everything into his/her own hands and altering the entire storyline, instead of weak heroes surviving/winning on luck alone and keeping the story too close to canon. Soo, read for the PLOT, not for Hinata's cuteness!

Or find a better story; there's thousands of authors with more talent than myself. If you want, I'll even help.

Thanks for reading!

**-Tobee**

* * *

><p>月<p>

* * *

><p>Hinata raised her hand and knocked on the door, a bag of groceries on her other hand. It opened to reveal a sleepy Naruto in his pajamas and nightcap, still rubbing his eyes.<p>

Hinata smiled. "Let's make breakfast together!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Sasuke was contemplating…<p>

He'd have to grow stronger, so he'd make the most out of the Academy. He'd be their best student, be assigned the best teacher, and become capable enough to make that man regret sparing his life that night.

_I'll make sure no one slows me down. _He spared a glance to the group of admirers crowding around him while carefully giving him his space. They squealed and whispered furiously to each other.

Sasuke closed his eyes and thought, mulling over ways to achieve his ambition.

He opened his eyes and watched Iruka-sensei enter the classroom.

Six seconds later, _that girl_ and _Naruto_ entered, hand-in-hand.

_That girl? _

_Since when did I start to think of her that way?_

_She didn't kill my family. _

_But she was an older sister, _

_She was that man's fiancée, _

_…and just as strong as him, _

Sasuke's body shook in jealousy and anger at himself. They were the same age and yet…Sasuke was so behind.

Another thought sifted through his head.

_Hn, what does she think of Itachi?_

* * *

><p>月<p>

* * *

><p>Naruto didn't know what was up with Hinata. She was clingy, obsessive, and always wanted to be with him.<p>

He liked the attention but it was just weird when he went to go to the restroom, Hinata would follow after. She didn't enter the toilet stalls with him, 'cos that _would_ be weird, but she leaned against the door entrance and waited.

Naruto could've sworn she pulls out her cat ears sometimes just to listen in to his every move, and when he comes out, she quickly puts them away.

He was afraid to tell Hinata about his uneasiness because he might lose her, so he just went along with what she wanted.

Besides, Naruto liked Hinata-time much more than alone-time.

* * *

><p>Iruka-sensei's eyes scanned the classroom and noticed Hinata was tutoring Naruto quietly at the back row.<p>

While he liked that Naruto was learning, he doubted they were the right material. _What i that girl teaching him? _

She symbolical claimed his favorite student as one of her cats, she exploited his loneliness for her own obsession, and…

_I'm worried about Naruto. She could be teaching him techniques that are too advanced and would harm him, or detrimental material that would hinder his social skills, which are bad enough already…Just what could it be? I should stop them…_Iruka raised his chalk and aimed to throw it on one of their heads and yell at them to pay attention, but Naruto looked so immersed and focused that…

Iruka decided not to dwell on it. He'll find out everything he wanted to know from Naruto later, over ramen.

* * *

><p>月<p>

* * *

><p>"You see…this is how you dispel genjutsu…" she whispered, drawing hand seals and genjutsu seals on Naruto's notebook.<p>

"Mhnn," Naruto nodded. The basic fuuinjutsu techniques she was teaching him came easier than most of Iruka-sensei's lessons.

It could be attributed to natural aptitude, Hinata being more interesting than Iruka-sensei, Hinata being his best and only friend, Hinata being a better teacher, Hinata being…

Naruto leaned back. It didn't matter, he was grateful to Hinata overall. She was the best!

Now Naruto didn't have to carry super heavy stuff around and hurt his shoulders, he could just seal it all in a scroll. Hell, he could bring his _house_ on a field trip if he wanted.

Hinata also taught him how to seal jutsu but that made no sense. How do you even a substitution technique?

_She mentioned elements_…

Naruto shrugged, having never encountered elemental ninjutsu in the Academy or within the village walls.

"Uh, Hina-chan, I'm gonna use the bathroom!" Naruto told her, stuffing his papers into his messy backpack and running off.

"I-I'll walk you there!" Hinata called after him, blushing at her louder than usual tone, but before she could follow, Mizuki-sensei intercepted her path.

"Hinata-chan, you stay behind. I need to talk to you."

Hinata hesitated, poking her forefingers together. On the inside, she was wondering what he was plotting. _Has he seen through my cover? Did he find out I'm not just some shy, nerdy, smart but weak girl? If worse comes to worse and he forces me to graduate early to contribute to the shinobi forces, I'll have to use my clan influence. I'll get father to advocate that I'm just a child without experience or insight, and my body is too young and weak. It would be believable on paper, but the Hokage knows who I am. _Hinata hunched further, her false nervousness becoming genuine.

"You've missed weeks of schoolwork," Mizuki told her. "How about you stay behind to review?"

Hinata looked up into his eyes. She could see something manipulative, evil, behind that serene face. It was the exact expression she saw in the mirror, when she looked into her own reflection. _This isn't just some innocent review session. I think he's caught on to my true nature. I suspect he'll make me an early graduate if I refuse and tell him I know all the material. I'll have to keep up the act. _

"Okay," she nearly whispered, she wasn't completely acting. She really was nervous at the prospect of losing Naruto. "T-Thanks," she managed out, the word of gratitude foreign to her tongue.

Mizuki-sensei smiled, waving her over to the writing board. He flipped out a piece of chalk and started going over the lessons she missed.

"The Second Hokage established four sets of the governing Council: the clan council, the civilian council, the shinobi council, and the Elder council, and the Hokage as the judge—"

Hinata tuned him out. She knew much, much more beyond the surface of what Mizuki could ever hope to learn, much less teach. Ever since she became her clan's heiress…

She resisted the urge to click her tongue. Was it really wise to waste her time here? She wanted to get to Naruto, bask in his determination and will to never give up, admire what he had that she didn't.

_I now know why the darkness craved the light. _

But no, she had to give in to Mizuki-sensei, or risk losing Naruto permanently.

Early graduation would place her on a different team, and different teams from different age groups never interact.

* * *

><p>月<p>

* * *

><p>"Say, Naruto, what do you think of Hinata?" Iruka-sensei sat beside Naruto who was slurping up his miso ramen like a hog.<p>

"Mmm?" Naruto turned away from his teacher and spent the next twenty seconds finishing his food.

Iruka waited patiently.

Naruto swallowed and grinned, "That's what I asked ya earlier today! Hina-chan or Sakura-chan!"

"Yeah, well, what do you think?"

Naruto looked thoughtful. "Well….Sakura-chan is prettier than Hina-chan, but Hina-chan's nicer! She's always walking me everywhere in school! And she comes to my place too!" Naruto's grin widened. "She cooks me yummy food and helps me with homework and teaches me super cool jutsus! Plus she listens to everything I say!" Naruto described her enthusiastically, before realizing he didn't have much to say about Sakura-chan.

"Uhhh, heheheh," Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Uhh, I think Hina-chan likes me more than Sakura-chan." Naruto slapped the countertop. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"I suppose that is obvious," Iruka-sensei noted, uneasy with where this conversation was going. "But how do you really feel, Naruto? Do you like Hinata enough to give into her every command, even if it's bad for Konoha?" _because that's tantamount to treating her, a mere fellow ninja, the same as the Hokage. _

Shisui's genjutsu was still intact in Naruto's mind, and it wavered slightly, before firming its iron grip once again. "No, I love this village! I'm gonna get everyone to acknowledge me, not just Hina-chan! I'll never hurt Konoha even if Hina-chan makes me!"

Those words reassured Iruka, who relaxed. _Seems like she hasn't completely brainwashed Naruto yet…not even a dent. I guess the Sandaime's talks about the Will of Fire got through to him more than Hinata ever could. I have faith in Naruto to become a splendid ninja who prioritizes village over that untrustworthy girl, for his own sake. _

"But Hina-chan would never do that," Naruto stared straight into Iruka's eyes with a misplaced serious expression, "Never. What made you think of that, Iruka-sensei? …why?" Naruto looked desperate.

Iruka shook his head. "No, no, as your teacher, it's my duty to understand you," he checked his wallet. _Just enough to afford one more_. "You want another bowl?"

"Really?!" Naruto jumped, feeling the contents of his stomach swish. "YATTA!"

_I wonder how Mizuki-sensei is faring…_

* * *

><p>月<p>

* * *

><p>"-Which is why, a ninja would sacrifice twenty three lives for power equal to the Fourth Hokage, the ninja has the ability to save another forty lives of his choosing, yes, that sounds nice," Mizuki agreed, taking another bite into his top-class steak.<p>

"And if that ninja has to sacrifice half his lifespan to achieve that?"

"Including or without the other lives?"

"Regardless."

"No point in doing it in the first place if his life's too short to bask in the glory of his 'sacrifice,'"

Hinata leaned forward and Mizuki caught his slipup. "Too short to save more lives, I meant. Yeah, in theory, with only half his lifetime, suppose the ninja can save only twenty lives?" Mizuki relaxed himself. "That's less than what you begin with."

Hinata nodded slowly. She took a sip of her green tea, ignoring the hot bowl of expensive lobster soup set beside her. In fact, she pushed it towards Mizuki-sensei.

He took it and drank it eagerly.

Somehow, they had roped themselves into one of Konoha's most high-class restaurants and into a discussion that exposed a bit too many secrets on Mizuki's behalf.

Although, Hinata was at fault too, she and Mizuki just 'clicked.'

It had started simple enough, innocent questions about clan affairs, turning into conversations between the value of foreign alliances and political benefits vs side-effects to outsiders, about the concept of winners and losers... until now, they were discussing _this_, calculations of human lives as though they could be measured, included with lifespans and power.

Hinata set down her steaming tea, and looked into Mizuki-sensei's eyes. _He's willing to be pragmatic when it matters, but he doesn't do it for the village, he does it for himself….Like me. _Hinata ignored the sting of shame she felt at relating to this abhorrant man.

_He can't be that repulsive, right? He's simply not brainwashed by the Will of Fire propaganda. I wonder… _

"Mizuki-sensei, would you like to order anything else?" Hinata asked politely, shoving him the menu.

"These oysters are worth a civilian man's lifesavings…" he tentatively pointed it out.

"Less than a percentage of what I have," she reassured him, and the waiter dressed in his fancy suit set the luxurious dish between them.

Mizuki-sensei was hungry again. "You should pay me instead of ordering…" _not to say it isn't worth it, I've never felt this heavenly in my life._

_Again, he's forgetting to watch his words_, Hinata noted. _He's not bothering to hide behind a mask of nobility. Does he think I'm just like him because I'm wasting resources here instead of donating it directly to charity and going to a poorer restaurant?_

She thought about it. Spending time with him was a double-edged sword. If she slipped up on moral grounds, he was unlikely to report her to the authorities…yet, if it benefited him, he would.

Yet…She needed someone with a similar mindset for a twisted kind of therapy for her own sanity.

Too much time with Naruto, despite how much she loved it, was starting to deteriorate her confidence in what she was doing.

Then there was the feeling of her hands, like they couldn't be cleansed of Uchiha blood.

_Even if I so much as glance at Sasuke_…She shuddered, it was better to stay away from Sasuke until she got over what she did…which was probably never.

She hopped off her silk chair, and handed a document indicating a large sum of cash to the manager. Tilting her head back, she smiled savagely at Mizuki-sensei. "Thanks for your time, sensei. I hope we do this again."

"Anytime, Hinata-chan," Mizuki stood up, towering over her now that they weren't sitting. "Should I walk you home?"

Hinata's lips thinned, not wanting him to. She shook her head. "Clan politics," she answered as if that explained everything.

"I see, then I'll see you at school tomorrow," Mizuki-sensei reached down and pet her hair roughly.

Suppressing a shudder, she forced herself to stay still until he removed his hand and escorted himself out the fancy door with a few servants flaking him obsequiously.

She took the back-exit out and sprinted back to the Hyuuga Compound to meet with her father.

* * *

><p>月<p>

* * *

><p>Deep in the Akatsuki hideout, Orochimaru oogled Itachi.<p>

* * *

><p>月<p> 


	31. Chapter 31

敌人

* * *

><p>"Hi-na-ta," Sasuke had finally cornered her. <em>She's clearly avoiding me.<em>

The rare times he did see her, were only short-lived glimpses. Hinata indiscreetly leaving, Hinata talking to Naruto, or Hinata surrounding herself with fangirls…it was odd to see a female with fangirls, even if it was _her_, but _at least she's useful for something_. A fewer number of them crowded around him when they were in the same room, but even that was infrequent.

"I'll just get to the point," he glowered. "Do you still like Itachi?" The name tasted like soybeans.

She turned her back to him, pulled open the large window, and the winds blew her short hair. Sasuke's eyes squinted to see her perched onto the windowsill.

_From the back, she looked like that man. _

Then, he realized that wasn't the only aspect; Hinata shared many habits of his brother. Too many.

His default blank expression...

His prodigious talent…

His apathy...

And the reverence from others…

The aura of being untouchable...

That was Itachi.

That was also Hinata.

They were close, close enough for marriage.

Sasuke couldn't direct his hatred towards an absent Itachi, but he had Hinata before him. He suppressed his hatred.

He wasn't strong enough yet.

Even if he had the strength, he had no reason to target Hinata. There was nothing wrong with illogical hatred as long as he didn't act upon it. It wasn't_ true_ hatred, after all. The only true hatred was reserved for _that man_ alone. So it was okay.

"I'm asking you a question," he growled.

"I'm unobligated to answer you," she finally said. "You are no longer my brother-in-law."

_What. _

_…_

_…_

_After all this time? _

_We've trained together. _

_You've taught me so much and now you have the heartless arrogance to…_

_Just like Itachi did…_

He was beyond pissed. If Sasuke knew the chidori, he would've used it, but he didn't, so he charged with a powerful fist. Hoping he would knock her out, he could, couldn't he? He was the top student of the Academy, his speed and strength the strongest, and she always thought she was superior, she didn't understand his pain, and had the impudence to talk down to him.

His fist was stopped mere inches from her back, by a small hand clenching tightly around it. She didn't even turn, and it still felt like a soft, iron wall.

Slowly, her grip hardened and Sasuke could feel his bones shattering.

He screamed.

* * *

><p>敌人<p>

* * *

><p>Neji paused, stopping himself from turning around the corner of the staircase. He took in a deep breath. He prided himself in having better self-control than Hinata-sama herself.<p>

_Byakugan! _

Through his dojutsu, he watched his nemesis stop Sasuke's blow more brutally than necessary, and hop out the window, leaving the school by wall-walking.

His eyes narrowed, unsurprised. Main House heirs tended to be harsh in order to set an example. But they were alone, and this was a student, _Sasuke Uchiha_ of all people.

_Hinata-sama is just as bad as Hiashi, _Neji thought, and for him that was saying something, as Hiashi killed Hizashi.

When Hinata was gone from his range of vision, Neji turned the corner and approached Sasuke, eying his broken hand. Internal bleeding, splintered bones, and a severed chakra system.

He'd need a medic immediately if he didn't want to lose his dexterity. Neji crouched down before the boy gasping in pain.

"Hey," he started, uncertain how he was supposed to act. He'd always been antisocial, focused on gaining power instead of making friends, and now that was coming to bite him in the back. "It seems you are injured by Hinata-sa-," he stopped the automatic honorific. "I shall accompany you to the nurse's office, Sasuke-san," Neji reached out a hand to help him up.

Sasuke bristled. "I don't need your pity, _Hyuuga_," he spat the clan name like vemon. He held his good hand under his injured one and stood up on his own, briskly walking off.

Neji followed after. "Sasuke-san, it was most certainly unacceptable action on Hinata's part. That I will never deny."

Sasuke snorted. _What an understatement. Sycophants, all of them. Always covering up for Hinata. Us Uchiha would never pander to our so-called 'royalty' like that. No one attempted to cover up my blunders, they even persecuted Itachi for Shisui's death. If Hinata killed one of her own, she'd be let off the hook. _Sasuke stopped, clenching his uninjured fist in anger, only to hurt his dislocated knuckles even more. Pausing midstride, he pivoted to face Neji with a death glare. "Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you right now," he growled. Sasuke wasn't really going to kill him, but his emotions said otherwise.

Neji raised his eyebrows, surprised by the Uchiha's reaction. _He must still be angry over Hinata-sama's actions._ Neji looked him in the eye, white against black. _His murderer brother was also her fiancé, and that is reason enough for Sasuke-san to hate Hinata-sama. _

Neji wasn't even going to stop himself from adding the noble honorific to Hinata's name in his thoughts. If he slipped out his disrespect aloud, he would've been persecuted. But with Sasuke…

He opened his mouth. "Hinata is insane. No one else sees that, every single one of my clan believe that she is fated to become our clan head." _Had I kept believing in fate, I would never have fought against Hinata-sama. If I didn't have Hanabi-imouto, if I didn't have something precious I desperately want to protect, I would have bitterly accepted my 'fate' and my role as Hinata's servant. I refuse to accept such a fate. _Neji didn't even need Naruto to punch his fatalist ideals out of him. Hinata had long since done so. He turned dead serious. "Aside from me, you are the only human being who can see through her perfect façade for what she is: A monster."

Sasuke actually looked shocked.

Neji smirked, "It is to be expected of an Uchiha, from a clan with the all-seeing-eyes much like mine. I would say the same for us Hyuuga, but everyone's turned a blind eye in regards to their _favorite _heiress," he sneered.

He felt a weight on his right shoulder, and it was Sasuke's hand, their eyes met and analyzed. Both of them felt the same thing.

"An enemy of an enemy is a friend," Sasuke's lips curled. "A friend of an enemy is an enemy." He snorted. "A few years earlier I wouldn't have considered you a _friend_, with you two being blood _cousins_…But ever since _that man_," Sasuke released Neji and walked into the medical room, refusing to finish his sentence.

He didn't need to.

Because they were friends.

* * *

><p>敌人<p>

* * *

><p>"Uchiha Sasuke vs. Uzumaki Naruto," Iruka-sensei called out.<p>

The crowd of fangirls cheered on Sasuke as he entered the ring contemptuously. His eyes landed on Naruto's collar with Hinata's name, and he felt a little anger.

His eyes flitted through the crowd and saw _her_ desperate eyes watching Naruto's every movement.

Sasuke harrumphed and attacked Naruto.

_Thoroughly._

He went too far, both Iruka and Mizuki had to pull him off, and Naruto had to be sent to the school nurse despite his abnormal healing rate. There was no Seal of Reconciliation.

That furious glare she shot him was worth the trouble.

* * *

><p><em>12 hours later…<em>

* * *

><p>It was late in the midst of twilight.<p>

Hinata momentially activated her byakugan to make sure there wasn't another chakra signature within a hundred meter radius, before forming a few hand signs with a drop of blood and slamming it to the floor.

A crow was summoned, with a scroll.

She took the parchment from its claws and unrolled it.

_Bunny,_

_How is Raven? _

_Crow_

Hinata burned the letter with a blue flame and snatched a sheet of paper, scrawling on it with a thick brush of high quality ink and upper-class penmanship.

_Crow, _

_Raven is fine. _

_Bunny_

She rolled the paper into a scroll and dropped it before the crow, getting up to leave. To her dismay, it hopped over and pecked at her toes. She furrowed her eyebrows. _What more do you want from me?_

It squawked, and vanished in a puff of feathers.

Hinata couldn't shake the feeling of something ominous coming. Why would Itachi send such an empty letter? The only intel it provided her was the confirmation that he was still alive, so there should've been a reason to believe he was dead in the first place.

Did he join a criminal organization or fake a suicide?

_Or is he being watched? _

She thought back of the affair involving Caged Bird Seals showing up on Uchiha foreheads. It was a sensitive topic none of the Hyuuga wanted to touch. Even she, the heiress, couldn't dig out much information. Much of it was purged in an effort to hide it from the public and preserve reputation.

Though, her father had personally interrogated everyone of the Main House who could've possibly knew how to make the seal. He even sacrificed a portion of his pride to ask a Yamanaka for help. No results.

At least it showed the Hyuuga were innocent, but at the same time, they could have been deceived into either leaking out their clan secret technique or conducting it themselves without directly remembering doing so…Or it was simply a complete memory wipe.

_I'm being paranoid_, Hinata thought. _What would Shisui call it…another conspiracy theory?_

_If only you were right…_

_Then you might stand a chance in this world…_

_The same goes for Naruto-kun, but he has me to protect him. _

_I'm not being paranoid, just careful. _

Somehow she felt she _knew _the person responsible, but she just didn't _know_…

Hinata sighed sadly and exited the summon hideout. _I made a bad impression on him, and I'm ashamed to do this. After everything I've put him through, after I promised not to return for years...Do I really want to visit Shisui? Just to ask him for advice? ..._

_What if he knows something I don't? _

_Is it worth it?_

_..._

* * *

><p>敌人<p>

* * *

><p><em>Neji's eyes widened, watching the sizable chakra-absorbing flame in Hinata's fist grow larger with their distance closing, and he instantly knew he was outmatched; not even his jyuuken techniques would work without it burning off his hands, but he had to try, or he'd lose his<em>_face__, no, his life, instead. _

_Wrong! _

_Instead, he lost his sister. _

_Neji Hyuuga saw himself fall to the ground and Hanabi stuck her tongue at him before running over to hug Hinata. Hinata smirked evilly down at him before wrapping her arm around Hanabi's shoulders and walking off to their castle. _

_Neji couldn't hear his own heartbeat anymore or move. He was drifting away._

* * *

><p>Neji woke up gasping for air, and he instantly grasped at his chest. He could hear his heartbeat clear as ceremonious drumbeats, even louder than the dead-last Lee of his class punching a dummy bag.<p>

_Good, I am still alive. _

He was safe in his bedroom. The door creaked open, and he tensed up, shooting his eyes towards the crack. A white eye and black hair, coupled with the face of a young girl matching the one from his nightmare in the distance.

He reached for his kunai, but the door opened completely and the girl jogged over.

He relaxed. _It's just Hanabi-imouto. That was completely fallacious of me to believe that Hinata would ever pay me a visit, at such a time. _

"Come closer, little sister," Neji called out.

The girl dashed over and placed her hands on his bed, trying to peer up at his face.

He chuckled and moved his hands under her armpits, lifting her up and setting her between the gap of his legs.

Hanabi giggled. "Nightmare? Big brother?"

Neji smiled calmly, "Yes, but your presence alone has demolished it." His words meant more than literally.

"When you have a nightmare, you're supposed to come and ask to sleep with me!" Hanabi chided childishly. "That's what moms and dads are for, right, nii-san?" She took his hands into hers, and he felt a shiver at the contact. "We don't have moms and dads so we're each other's moms and dads."

Neji didn't have anything to say to that.

"But I'm here and you're here so let's sleep here instead. It's okay if I come to you because nii-san is shy and won't come to me even with scary nightmares!" Hanabi grinned and crawled under Neji's sheets, huddling close to him.

Neji felt something clench inside his heart, and he knew she was precious. After what felt like an eternity alone, he had a true family. He lied down beside her and pulled the covers over them both properly, slowing his breathing and watching her sleep.

No one knew it as he was always being outshined by Hinata, but Neji was a prodigy of his own right.

He could learn Main House techniques without being taught them,

By observation skills of his Byakugan alone.

He's already working on the 64-Trigrams Jutsu.

Hinata's Blue Flame technique…he'd never seen anything like it before. It was erosive, dangerous, and had enough power to take out jounin like fodder.

It was complicated, pinpoint chakra control over various locations, activating certain gates of chakra untouched by combatants or Hyuuga…Perhaps medic ninjas tapped into those same tenketsu areas, he didn't know the details.

He knew for sure he was extremely lucky to have seen it first-hand with his Byakugan, and its reversal effects too. He had more than enough information.

It would be a long process but if he could just reproduce it…Improve it…Overpower it…

He had the talent to do it.

He'd become stronger than Hinata, of that he was certain of, because...

His hand reached over and brushed a strand of hair from Hanabi's peaceful, asleep face.

_I have something Hinata lacks… a bond to protect._

* * *

><p>敌人<p> 


	32. Chapter 32

讨价还价

* * *

><p>He couldn't see her, but he knew she was there.<p>

He sat before Hinata, his legs crossed and his hands on his lap. Underneath him was a giant seal taking up the entirety of the floor in his room, behind the bars of a cell. Chakra suppressants.

Shisui Uchiha's dwelling was no different from a shinobi prison.

"Pft, as if I'd escape," he muttered sarcastically. "Wouldn't want Ita-chan's Sasu-chan being sacrificed because it turns out _another_ Uchiha was spared!"

His reasoning was plausible, but Hinata still didn't trust him.

"Soo, why are you visiting me now? Has it been four years already? It felt like fourteen! Does that mean you're letting me out? So then, can I touch your face? Since I can't see you…and I mean I can't _see _with my chakra either…Hahahaah!"

Hinata shuddered. What have they been_ feeding_ him?

Rats.

"U-Um, S-Shisui," she started, "W-What's your favorite food?"

"Thought you'd never ask~!" He had no intentions of answering.

"I'll cook you some rice," she promised him as she pivoted to leave.

The last sound she heard was Shisui's insane laughter.

* * *

><p>讨价还价<p>

* * *

><p>"Moneko, Funeko, Suneko, from now on, feed Shisui<em> human <em>food." She gave them a stern look. "Not _cat_ food."

They mewed, which she took as a 'yes,' and proceeded to finish up her cooking.

* * *

><p>讨价还价<p>

* * *

><p>She slid the boxed lunch through the metal bars. "Here, eat," Hinata said gently, pulling out her innocent charm.<p>

Shisui tentatively took the chopsticks and tried to tighten his grip on them, but the lack of use for his hands made them drop to the floor.

She didn't know it, but sometimes when the cats were too lazy to watch over him, they binded him and completely restricted an inch of his movement so they could laze off.

This happened all too often and it was taking a toll on his body.

Hinata sighed and placed her hand to the lock, sending her chakra signature through its fuuinjutsu surface and retracting the bars. She walked inside his little 'prison' and sat before him. The seals were specifically designed for Shisui, so they didn't affect her as she lifted the boxed lunch and chopsticks.

She opened her mouth, wordlessly telling him to open up.

He looked like he had his pride severely stung, but he swallowed the food she put into his mouth. Then, as if his hunger was activated, he grabbed the box from her and ate rapidly, even taking the chopsticks from her.

_At least he isn't using his hands_, Hinata thought coldly, handing him a bottle of water to which he eagerly gulped down.

After he was full, he grinned, satisfied. "It's been a while since I had a good meal, you should visit me more often, Hina-chan!"

Hinata felt uncomfortable. The only one who ever calls her that was Naruto. "O-Okay," she reluctantly decided. She considered getting to the point with Shisui, but he seemed unstable.

_That's my fault for isolating him for so long…But isn't he an Uchiha? Shouldn't he have formed a bond with the cats due to kinship? I-I mean, sure, they aren't the best companions…but Itachi did say they were therapists…_

That led to another possibility.

_What if my summons betray me for Shisui?_

_…_

_No…I have more credibility. _

_He's nearly insane, he has no place in the real world, and he's just a secret weapon waiting to be released during a time that needs him the most. _

_He will thank me in the long run, if he comes out unscarred. _

Hinata was sure of it.

Better now than never, then.

"Shisui, you already understand why you're staying here, so I'll give you anything you want."

"Yeah, I want pocky! Maybe some green tea! And dango! Red bean paste please!" Shisui sounded as excited as ever.

"I'll buy them for my next visit," she promised. She gave him a few more seconds of silence before dropping the bomb: "What was Itachi's goal?"

Shisui stilled, surprised by the change in topic. Then, he stared straight her with bandaged eyes. "To protect Konoha. Itachi is the type of person to uphold his goal, even when banished. There's no doubt he's currently digging up some super-deep evil criminal secrets…or infiltrating enemy villages…or disbanding terrorist groups…or—"

"He writes me letters," she told him. "But the one he wrote today only asked about his brother." Her eyebrows furrowed, and now she was worried.

_Could Itachi have found out I broke Sasuke's hand today? _

_No, that's impossible, not on such a short notice over something so minor…_

_But it's Itachi…_

She shook her head. It couldn't be a warning to her, threatening her not to hurt Sasuke. It must have been something else. _Yes, he must've joined a criminal organization, that's all there is to it_, she tried to convince herself.

"Um, Hinata?" Shisui called out. "Itachi frets about his brother—"

"That's not it. He's being watched for any treasonous moves, that's why his letter was so vague and coded," she insisted a little too desperately.

Shisui tilted his head. "One thing's for sure, Itachi-kun never does things without a reason." He grinned in pride. "I taught him well."

Hinata waited.

"He has a reason for not including every detail of his life, maybe he's joined a top secret organization that he can't leak intel out easily! Now, where would Ita-chan go first? To the worst one that threatens Konoha!" Shisui blurted out. "Or world peace!" He laughed.

"Who knows, my little cousin might pay you a little visit in the future, train hard little Hina-chan!"

Hinata curled her fingers, looking tensely thoughtful.

"I've only utilized one percentage of natural energy—"

"But you said you mastered it—" he bit his tongue, sensing the change in atmosphere.

"No, _you_ said that," she pointed out. "My sage mode is unbalanced; it's like adding a drop of natural energy to my buckets of mental and physical energy. S-So, it's useful, but imperfect." She looked aside. "Its only effect was giving me cat features and a slight increase in sensory abilities."

Koneko hopped onto her lap. "She uses 1% when she can use 100%!"

Hinata's eyes widened in horror. "I can't multiply my power by a hundred!" She stammered.

"20%" Shisui interrupted with a grin. "Do it within four days."

_Why is he saying this? What's he planning? _She gave him a 'are you serious' look.

"I'll teach you Uchiha Code," he bribed instead of explaining his reasoning, which left Hinata confused, yet…

Nonetheless, Hinata was interested…She wasn't against mastering her sage mode anyway, she knew she was hard-pressed for time. Shisui was actually an incentive who gave her a solid time limit. "Okay." _I'll sort everything out later._

* * *

><p>讨价还价<p>

* * *

><p>"What did I tell ya. You're no Senju, you don't have enough chakra to take in <em>that <em>large an amount!"

Hinata had sucked in an unbalanced amount of natural energy that filled more than 1/3rd of her chakra polled, and had the audacity to attempt to retain it.

It was starting to turn her into a permanently paralyzed cat and she activated her byakugan in an attempt to control it.

Only to have that work adversely against her.

With her byakugan sucking away her spiritual and physical energy, the 1/3rd of her natural energy amounts increased to 2/3rd and she knew this was bad.

Hinata tried to expel away as much senjutsu chakra from her body as possible, especially towards her eyes, but it was too late, the damage was done.

While her vision extended towards her chakra sensory, it was short-lived as her physical and spiritual chakra once again took over her tenketsu system.

There were stains of natural energy, permanent scars. She found it impossible to retract her black cat ears and tail.

It was the same phenomenon as the Toad Sages turning into Stone forever, or Snakes Sages turning into pseudo-snakes.

With the Uchiha Cats…Sage training has never been done before so no one knew its side-effects, no one before Hinata.

It could have been worse.

So, Hinata snapped a Transformation Jutsu over herself to cover up her newly acquired features (which weren't new, as they'd been there during the Uchiha Massacre, but they weren't as permanent as now.) Then, she walked off to find Shisui. She reached 20%, at an inconvenient price, but it was well-worth it.

It wasn't like anyone would notice, right?

"Ahahahah, I knew this would happen!" Shisui was rolling around the floor and laughing and pointing at Hinata.

Hinata furrowed her eyebrows with concern. _You can't see me, your chakra is suppressed, and I'm wearing a henge. "_How'd you know?" she almost whispered.

"I'm Shisui Uchiha!" He exclaimed as though that explained all forms of logic. Before she could rebuke, he shouted, "Time to teach you Uchiha code! Let's start off with Military Police hand signals!"

…

* * *

><p>讨价还价<p>

* * *

><p>...<p>

A crow circled them overhead.

"Ooh, looks like it's a vulture! Think it's gonna eat us?" The white side of a Venus Fly Trap clad in Akatsuki robe inquired.

"**No. It's here for Itachi." **The black side replied.

"Huhn, Itachi gets letters?" Zetsu turned his head towards the young boy.

Uchiha Itachi tilted his head up and reached out as the crow swooped down and dropped a scroll to his hands. It flew off instead of reverse summoning itself.

"What's it say? A love letter?" The white side asked, as Zetsu came up behind him.

"**What does it say?"** The black side supplied suspiciously.

He unrolled the scroll and his eyes narrowed.

The contents displayed no recipient and was unsigned:

_'_ငါသည်သင်

တို့ကိုတ

စ်စုံတစ်ခု

ပုန်းအောင်းနေ

တာကိုငါသိ၏။'

Itachi gracefully tossed the letter to Zetsu and walked on. It was the wisest course of action if he didn't try to hide or destroy the parchment immediately, even _giving_ it to his partner. Such an action of carelessness would dispel any suspicion of Itachi being a double agent.

And for extra measure, Itachi parted his mouth…

"It's a love letter."

* * *

><p>讨价还价<p>

* * *

><p>"It's Itachi's," Zetsu passed it onto Tobi. "From one of his crows."<p>

Tobi took the paper and read it.

"It's says 'tell me all your secrets or you'll regret it.'" Tobi gulped. _It's written in Code that only an Uchiha can decipher…and sent to __me _via Zetsu_. But Itachi isn't supposed to know that I exist! He's too dangerous for that. _

Tobi scratched his head. "Argh! Where did Tobi slip up?!"

_How does he know about Zetsu's connection to me?! We've never been seen together. _

_Did the plant fucking screw up? _Tobi shot a one-eyed glare at said plant, and its white side covered in fear while the black side waited for his judgment.

_He's even managed to discern that I'm an Uchiha who understands Military Police Code! Just how much does he know… _Tobi paced around.

_Does he know I'm Obito? Impossible.. _

_But not far-fetched. _

_I haven't introduced myself as Madara Uchiha yet, so his first assumption must be me being an older cousin of his, one he didn't kill…instead of some ancestor who's supposed to be long dead._

_Now that the possibility has crossed his mind, I can't convince him I'm Madara without some serious manipulation of events…and he will still make backup plans for the mere possibility that I'm just a super strong cousin of his! _

_That ruins certain plans! _

_And it will only get worse, so I must change his mind before it's too set. _

_But what if he thinks I'm not an insignificant Uchiha cousin hiding out, but someone who's going around as Madara? _

_That saves me time with introductions, but I'm more worried about how the secret leaked out to him. _

_Does he know I'm not the real Madara? _

It didn't matter. By the time Tobi was done with him, Itachi will believe him to be whoever he claimed to be.

Unless he knew everything about Tobi, then Tobi will have no choice but to kill him.

A pity, the weasel was such an asset to his ultimate plans.

Tobi pocketed the letter and walked towards a paralyzed Zetsu, who was still shocked from watching random deranged laughter and jumps and twirls from the orange-swirled masked man.

"Zetsu~senpai, I think it's time to tell Itachi-senpai 'all our secrets' or we'll 'regret it'! Kuhuhuhu!" Tobi giggled.

* * *

><p>讨价还价<p> 


	33. Chapter 33

狗

* * *

><p>Kiba pinched the bridge of his nose. What was that<em> stench<em>?

He tried to focus on the information Iruka-sensei was writing on the chalkboard, but his head felt dizzy. He propped his forehead to the desk, trying to wait it out.

But it wasn't just any feeling that made him sick to his gut. It was the feeling of being threatened. Like his position as the alpha of the pack was being threatened, or his pack itself was in danger. It was _that_ type of smell.

It made him sick, but not only that,

it also made him angry.

The problem with this smell was that it imposed no danger, only the desire to inflict danger. Like that of a special mosquito which did not need blood to survive, but still sucked blood out of spite. A mosquito that can easily be crushed, and yet had the audacity to threaten him, to bite off more than it could chew.

Kiba's body trembled in rage rather than fear, and he clutched his gut; his insides were writhing in pain.

From atop his head, Akamaru whimpered.

It was then that Kiba felt the weight of his puppy like bricks on his head. Akamaru had never been this heavy, unless he was extremely nervous or unconscious.

"Akamaru?" He whispered behind clenched teeth, his face pressed against his messy notes.

There was no response.

_Shit._

It must be due to that smell.

It wasn't fair, he noted as his eyes trailed across his unaffected classmates. How come he was the only one to suffer?

Even he was feeling nauseous, to the brink of collapsing, so how could he expect any more from his partner?

Carefully, his hands moved over his head and lifted his companion with the utmost delicacy, a rare thing for a rough boy like him to do.

As he laid his dog on his desk, his suspicions were confirmed, Akamaru was sick and unconscious.

Resisting the urge to puke, he moved to raise his hand, but Iruka-sensei spotted him first.

"Kiba! Pay attent-ouh..." Iruka looked awkward. "Are you okay? Do you need to go to the nurse instead?"

"Augh!" Kiba groaned.

Iruka's eyes snapped around the classroom, finding someone unoccupied and unfussy. "Shino! Would you please take Kiba to the nurse's office?"

Shino pushed the brim of his glasses and stood up. "Yes, Sensei." He walked over to Kiba and lifted him by his arm.

"W-wait, Akamaru,"

"Got him," Shino reassured, as he lifted up the puppy with his other arm and placed the dog against his hip. A few fleas from Shino's clothes hopped over and snuggled into Akamaru's soft white fur. Some of them proceeded to battle against the native fleas. The dog didn't stir.

As they made their way out of the classroom, Kiba pointed his nose towards the source of the odor, his eyes taking in the sight of the quiet Hyuuga girl diligently taking notes and nudging her loudmouth friend to focus.

As Shino steered him away, she vanished from his field of vision, and the foul stench was gone.

Kiba breathed a breath of relief, and stood upright, recovered in a matter of seconds. Behind his round sunglasses, Shino stared at him in silent inquiry as Akamaru stirred in his hold.

"You know, I'm tired of arrogant clan kids stopping by my office and suddenly deciding not to come in!" The nurse at the door of her office shouted just as Kiba was about to turn and leave. "I don't care if you just magically recover by being within a 5 meter range of my office! You're still getting a checkup!" And with that, the nurse scurried behind Shino and Kiba and pushed them roughly inside her medical room before slamming the door shut behind them and locking it.

Kiba gulped.

The nurse seated herself on her computer chair and rubbed her temples. "Like seriously, just the other day a Hyuuga and Uchiha failed to chicken out, and now an Aburame and Inuzuka dare to attempt the same ploy?" Her eyes softened at the ramrod spines and frightful complexions of the boys before her. They were nothing like the stoic boys from last week, these kids wore their emotions on their sleeves. She sighed with a smile, and made an offhand wave, which instigated a chakra glow to her palm. "I'm kidding, kidding! No need to panic! So, what's wrong?"

"Uh, uh," Kiba rubbed his palms together and blushed.

Shino sighed. "Kiba was feeling sick to his stomach, and he seems to have recovered seconds after leaving the classroom."

"Oh?" The nurse placed her glowing hand to Kiba's forehead, doing a diagnosis scan. "Allergies."

Kiba's eyes widened.

She placed her hand under her chin and looked thoughtful. "Hmm, this is new. One of your classmates developed a new..._trait_ that consequently triggers your allergic reactions." She examined the boy, and broke out a smile. "But that's okay, you'll grow accustomed to it with enough gradual exposure."

Kiba's stomach dropped. "You mean I'm gonna have to face this _stink_ everyday?!"

The nurse combed a hand through her brown treads. "You wanna transfer classes?"

"NO!" Kiba had friends there!

"Uh-huh, well, don't expect us to transfer another student to a different teacher because of a minor medical condition on your part, pup. You're just one of the pack."

Kiba growled.

Shino placed a hand reassuringly on his shoulder, and he reluctantly calmed down.

"Thank you," she muttered dryly, before grabbing a capsule on her desk and tossing it to the Inuzuka. Eyes opening, Akamaru leaped off Shino's arms and snatched the capsule between its teeth, landing and skirting across the streaky floor.

"You're alive!" Kiba sunk to his knees and mock-cried over Akamaru, who was panting in its master's face.

"Those are allergy medication, which should speed up your immune system's adaption process. Now get outta here!" The nurse shooed the boys out of her office and slammed the door shut.

* * *

><p>狗<p>

* * *

><p>"Kiba, is that really a good idea?" Shino asked as Kiba downed half the bottle of pills like good candy and fed the rest to Akamaru.<p>

Swallowing, Kiba smirked. "Trust me, Bug-eyes, you'd do the same if you were me."

Shino sighed, "Oh. Let's head back to class."

So they did.

* * *

><p>狗<p>

* * *

><p>It was so distracting. Kiba wondered how Naruto, who was so similar to himself, could put up with that freak.<p>

It was lunchtime, so Iruka-sensei took Naruto out for ramen again, after telling Hinata that he would be teaching Naruto the whole time so there was no point in her going. She sighed sadly as they departed, leaving Mizuki-sensei behind to supervise the class.

He took out the box of biscuits his sister packed for him, and tried to feed one to Akamaru. The dog shook its head in denial.

Kiba growled, standing up. _I've never sat back and took shit up my ass, why should I start now?! _

Shino reached for Kiba, but he moved too fast, stopping before Hinata's desk and placing his hands in front of her.

From her seat, Hinata stared up at him inquiringly, her cheeks tinted red.

Kiba leaned over and sniffed her hair.

"ARGH!" He reared back and gripped his nose.

Hinata ee'ped, before regaining her senses from her slight scare. Assessing his reaction, she perked an eyebrow, and tugged at her bang. There was nothing wrong with her high-quality shampoo. She looked at him weirdly.

Kiba also recovered. "You reek of cats. Are you some kinda Cat Hermit or what? That's disgusting!"

Hinata shrugged slightly. "Okay," she whispered.

"What was that?!" He barely heard her.

"I said okay."

"Don't give me that attitude!" He grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, rearing his fist back to punch her. She needed the lesson anyway. But his wrist was grabbed by Mizuki-sensei, who was giving him a stern look.

"Detention, Kiba."

"Tch, fine, whatever!" Kiba wasn't going to hear the end of it from Tsume and Hana. _Next time I won't get caught._

Mizuki-sensei's eyebrows rose, apparently reading through him. "If you want to bully someone, choose another target. Hinata-chan is the Hyuuga's prized heiress."

It wasn't right to use noble status to buy oneself saves, so Kiba was provoked. "Huh?! I'm the Inuzuka heir, you think I'm scared of white-eyes?!" He had a scary older sister who was in the lead, but Kiba was still pretty sure he would inherit his clan someday. Maybe.

"Ah. Of course," Mizuki-sensei amended. "All the more reason not to fight or you'll stir up future clan hostality."

"As if I care about that shit?!" Kiba bore his fangs and Akamaru growled from atop his head.

Mizuki-sensei's lip quivered. "That's not it. Hinata-chan has a very fragile psyche." He was talking as though she wasn't right there between them.

Kiba turned his nose back towards Hinata and saw the girl shivering, her bangs covering her eyes and a trail of tears dripping down her chin.

His stomach coiled, instantly regretting his animosity. Mizuki was right. "Uh, uh, hey, listen, I wasn't trying to..." Kiba paced around her side. "I didn't mean to, I, I'm sorry?" He forced out.

She sniffled. "It's my fault for smelling bad."

"N-No!" Faltering, he unsteadily reached to touch her. "You can't help it."

Hinata scooted away, cheeks red and eyes hidden.

Mizuki-sensei looked between them before saying, "Can't you see she doesn't like you? Get back to your seat or I'm extending your detention for another two hours."

Kiba glared at the teacher. He hated this guy, something about him reeked untrustworthy. He decided it wasn't a good idea to sit with him for any longer than necessary in detention. "Fine!"

Kiba would have smelled the same thing from Hinata if she didn't stink of cats.

* * *

><p>狗<p> 


	34. Chapter 34

**7 years ago**

* * *

><p>For once it wasn't Naruto being bullied but...<p>

"Knock it off!" 5-year-old Naruto burst out from the bushes, revealing himself to the three bullies surrounding a bruised, disheveled Hinata.

"And what the heck do you want?" the chubby one growled, pissed off about being disturbed. His name was Kono. His two companions flanked him and glared hostilely, blocking his view of the freaked out girl.

"I'm here to save her!" Naruto announced with a determined grin, taking it literally.

"Yeah right!" the second boy laughed, "who'd want to save _her_?" he said disdainfully. His name was Haga. Everyone here were 1st years at the Academy, but the girl was using 4th year vocabulary terms, advanced words she learned from specialized clan tutors. "No one likes know-it-alls!"

They might have became her followers if she had a bigger, more masculine build, but they perceived her as the smallest girl in their class, and the most pretentious.

She _was_ kind of cocky.

Not right now, though.

The third boy then realized something, "Hey, he's that kid! The one who's always getting into trouble...The one everyone hates." His name was Kure.

Kure's companions realized it too. "Oh, it's _that_ guy."

"That guy, hahaha! No wonder he wants to save her!"

"Hey! I'm not that guy!" Naruto exclaimed indignantly, "I have a name! And It's Naruto Uzumaki! I'm the one who's gonna be the Hokage one day! Believe it!"

They burst out laughing and made more degrading comments.

"There's no way some idiot kid like you could ever be Hokage!"

"Heh, you wanna fight?!" Naruto moved his hands into the ram seal, "Clone jutsu!"

A discombobulated clone appeared before collapsing into a heap.

"Hahahahahahah!"

Naruto tackled Kono and threw punches at his face, before getting ganged up by the other two boys. In the end, he was the being brutally beaten, until a passing Hyuuga branch servant noticed Hinata sitting there. "Hinata-sama!"

"Shit, let's get outta here!" they cursed at being caught red-handed by an adult, but their faces weren't seen, so they escaped scot-free.

Then he noticed Naruto, supine and unconscious. "You mustn't get involved with him. Now, let's go," the branch servant, Kō Hyuuga, pulled her away.

"W-Wait, he saved me!" Hinata squeaked.

_He's the Nine Tails Jinchuuriki,_ Kō wanted to tell her. _We mustn't associate with him, or the suspicion that the Uchiha clan is suffering from will befall on the Hyuuga. _"He's bad for the clan."

Hinata pulled her hand off his grip, backing up and defending Naruto with her back. "Why?"

Kō faltered at this display of protection. Instantly, his mind went on overdrive, _Should I use force? Coerce her about her father looking for her? I won't get in trouble, Hiashi-sama will understand. Knock her unconscious? _Kō tensed up as he moved his hands, but Hinata's lip quivered as her fingers twisted together into a special hand seal.

_Oh hell no._ Kō was not going through the pain of his Caged Bird Seal again. Sometimes he wondered why she learned it so early on, her mentality was that of a child. With absolute authority before she learned humility or morality, she'd become spoiled and selfish, unfit for a heiress. Kō's hands dropped to his sides. "Please, Hinata-sama. Come home."

"Not until you tell me why." Hinata said stubbornly.

_The thing is, I can't. It's against the Third's law. _He combed his hand through his hair, fending off a nervous breakdown. "I can't, I don't have the right," at her frown, he stuttered. "A-Ask your father," he redirected.

Her hands dropped. "Okay," she whispered, tilting her head to look down at Naruto.

Kō knew what she was going to ask next. To bring the boy with them, or at least fix him up, bandage his bruises. Hinata was soft-hearted like that, when it came to people she opened her heart to. Kō didn't know if he was a part of that set of people. But with her threat using the curse seal, he doubted it.

He body flickered behind her before she could widen her eyes, and pressed a few tenketsu points at her neck with his Gentle Fist chakra, knocking her unconscious. Catching the girl before her body hit the floor, he pulled her over his back and leapt away.

Hiashi-sama was waiting for them.

* * *

><p>权谋<p>

* * *

><p>When Hinata had awoken, the first thing she saw from her bed was her father sitting beside her and watching her. His Byakugan was activated, and he was staring at her body, her chest, her legs, even her face.<p>

"F-Father?" she cursed herself for stuttering. That was a show of weakness, something she always made sure to hide from her father."I heard you associated with the-_ that_ boy." Hiashi stopped himself from saying Kyuubi boy, lest he get scandalized. But he wasn't going to call him Naruto, either. And any other term was too vague. Calling him a mere 'troublemaker' would send the wrong message to her daughter, dig a plothole into a part of her carefully-crafted insight, and he wasn't going to keep his daughter ignorant of the truth forever.

Especially since they interacted. Hinata looked him straight in the eye, not once trembling. But he could see the tension in her shoulders and fingers, with his Byakugan. He was also taking the chance to assess how much chakra she had. Her chakra coils were currently tiny, but they were convulsing, at times shrinking to an amount below her age group, at times expanding to the size of an adult's. He had a feeling Hinata would turn out either incredibly weak, or incredibly strong. It was a chance of 50/50, and he would make sure to push her towards the prodigy side, mentally and physically.

"I did, father," Hinata confessed. She would have told him everything since he was her father, but he would have scowled at her weakness. In reality, Hinata had no one to confide in. She was alone. So instead, she decided to extract information. "Why is he called 'that boy'?"

If he was going to push her, he might as well start now, and to start with the mental part. "Because, my daughter, that boy is malevolent for the clan," he raised a hand to stop her interruption. "I know he is harmless, but it's not about what he _does_. It's about what he _is_."

She looked at him with wide eyes, and he resisted the urge to sigh. _She is still a clueless child._ He narrowed his lips, and explained, "For example, why are you so respected when _you are so weak_?"

"..." Hinata just stared, resolving to get stronger.

"Because you are my daughter. This is the only reason why everyone respects you. You symbolize the Main House. Disrespect towards you is equivalent to disrespect towards the Main Branch. In other words, borderline treason, which will not go unpunished," his hand twisted into the familiar punishment hand sign she almost used earlier that day, and her lips parted in enlightenment.

Hiashi started to derail. "But because you symbolize us, you are also a high-priority target. Do you remember that incident two years ago?"

Hinata did. That Kumo ninja snatched her from her room and stuffed her in a bag. He was killed by her father, but then...to appease Kumo, her uncle gave up his life in place of her father, to the dismay of Neji.

"For that reason, you are obligated to show strength, or our authority will be attacked, leading to disorder. Internal conflict is the last thing I expect my clan to go extinct from, _Hinata_," his eyes bored into his daughter as if she was the weakest link towards the downfall of the entirety of Hyuuga.

"Y-Yes, father."

"That's right," he crossed his arms, encouraged all the more by his own words to tell his heiress. "As for that boy, he symbolizes the event which occurred during the year you were born."

Her eyes widened. There was only one major event at that time. The Nine Tailed Fox Attack. All her tutors were hesitant when they taught her the topic, as if they knew something vital that she didn't, and were hiding it from her.

Hiashi stood up, turning towards the door. "When you have the Byakugan, you will understand."

Hinata watched him leave, and bit the inside of her cheek. Father was wrong. She didn't need to achieve the Byakugan to understand. She didn't know if it was intentional, but her father's words had a double innuendo.

_The Fox was defeated by the Yondaime.__I need the Byakugan to understand.__"Hey, he's that kid! ...The one everyone hates."_Why _that boy symbolizes that event...__The Byakugan can see chakra._

_Why do I need to see his chakra? _

_Is it because he's the Fox? _

_Why is the Fox so nice? _

_...Ah._

_He's alone, just like me._

* * *

><p>权谋<p>

* * *

><p>"Is it true that three little kids died last week?"<p>

"Academy students, not kids. And yeah, there was a triple-memorial held just yesterday. You missed it?"

"Hah, I was drunk. So, what gives?"

"Apparently they've incorporated explosive-tag-creation into the Academy curriculum. The kids wanted to test out their tags and went into the woods. The tags blew up in their faces, got all three of them. By the time they were found, they were found as rotten meat, dried blood, and ashes."

"Ewww."

"I feel bad for their parents."

"They're orphans. Their parents died protecting everyone from the Kyuubi."

"Such a shame."

"So stupid."

"Why are they teaching little kids how to make bombs at school?"

"They're ninja-in-training, not kids. Regardless, they've stopped doing it since the tragedy."

"Tch. I hope this doesn't weaken the Village."

"That's rude."

"A bunch of foolish clanless orphans shouldn't ruin it for the serious clan students who want to learn."

"What are you, an Uchiha?"

"What of it?"

"It's no wonder you're defending teaching newborns how to make bombs."

"Hah, we don't push our children, they're just talented. It's the Hyuuga whom really fit into the trope."

"Oi!"

"What are so many ninjas doing in a civilian bar?" The bartender finally yelled. "Get out!"

* * *

><p>权谋<p>

* * *

><p><em>Somewhere else,<em>

_In the dark, Hyuuga Hinata whispered, "Three down, Naruto-kun."_

* * *

><p>权谋<p> 


	35. Chapter 35

櫻花

* * *

><p><em>"If you want to bully someone, choose another target. Hinata-chan is the Hyuuga's prized heiress," Mizuki had said. <em>

Kiba was never one to back down from a challenge.

* * *

><p>櫻花<p>

* * *

><p>As soon as he arrived home, he saw Tsume cooking and asked,<p>

"Mom,"

"KIIIBA!" Tsume threw a pan towards his face and he ducked, just barely. Akamaru yelped and jumped into the air, just barely dodging the flying pan underneath its feet. It landed safely back onto Kiba's head.

"Mom! You almost hit Akamaru!" He paced towards Tsume, his fists clenched to his sides. "What kinda greeting was that?!"

"Ahaha-ha, whoops," Tsume grinned ferally, "Something's up for you to be home so early. Good thing for you too, you almost missed dinner. Tell me what's up."

Hana came walking in, and the first thing she said was, "Is it a new girlfriend?"

"What?!" Kiba's face went red. "NO!"

"Adamant denial is a telltale sign—who's the unlucky girl?" his older sister teased.

"Sit down, you both!" Tsume interrupted as she slammed the dining table after she finished setting up. She sat on her wooden chair. There were 8 other chairs, 5 inhabited by dogs and 3 unoccupied ones.

Hana sat down, and Kiba made sure to put Akamaru on the seat between them as he took the other seat beside his mother.

Kiba grabbed his chopsticks and started eating his rice, while the dogs ate right off the bowls.

It was noisy and exuberant.

"So," Hana said between mouthfuls. "Who is she?"

Kiba blushed. "I don't like her."

"Eh? You do," Hana's grin turned feral.

"Sis, you've got it wrong. I _don't like _her," he glared at her, "Like the hating kinda way, but—"

"We don't hate," Tsume interjected.

"Bro, it's 'dislike.'" Hana corrected. "So why do you dislike her?"

Kiba wrinkled his nose. "She smells like cats."

"What?"

"Plus she's Hyuuga, so Sensei sucks up to her. What's so special about Hyuugas anyway?"

Tsume placed her elbow on her table and her cheek to her palm. "Hmm, they've been here since Konoha's founding right after the Uchiha."

Kiba groaned. "Not another history lesson!"

Hana smirked, "Oi, it's good for you."

"Urgh!"

"Alright, fine, but nothing I say here comes out of the dinner table, awright?"

"Fine!"

"The Hyuuga enslave their branch members and punish them for disobedience. That's one red flag! Us Inuzuka are one big family, a pack shared by kinship! We don't punish our dogs, and we sure as hell don't punish our family members! We encourage each otha for our good work and say 'no' to our wrongs! One day either one of you will replace me as the Matriarch, so remember this lesson well. Don't follow the Hyuuga's stinkin' example!"

Kiba's jaw dropped. "Wait, you said something about enslaving?"

Tsume smirked. "Yea, sure! They collar 'em with—"

"Collar?" Kiba stood up, "That puts a bad name to this clan!"

Hana smashed his face to his bowl. "Dumb dog, they use Cursed Seals that put the lives of their servants in their hands!"

"Oh, wait, she collared Naruto!"

Hana's eyes widened. "This Hinata you talking about?"

"Uh, yeah,"

"Don't associate with her and don't piss her off!" Hana yelled in his face.

"Why should I listen to you?"

Tsume looked up from her food and growled, "Kiba, she's set to lead the Hyuuga one day. If you want what's best for our pack, you'd better lie low."

All the dogs started yipping and reverse summoning themselves back to their hideouts.

"Ack!" Kiba waved the smoke out of his face and stood up.

"Not so fast, help clean up and wash the dishes," Tsume called out.

"Later mom! I got stuff to do," Kiba ran the hell out of there to escape his chores.

"Mom, I'll get him back," Hana growled, but Tsume placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't think you're gonna escape your housework by 'searching' for him! You'll be doin' both yours and Kiba's!"

Hana groaned.

* * *

><p>櫻花<p>

* * *

><p>Once again it wasn't Naruto being bullied but...<p>

"Knock it off!" 12-year-old Naruto burst out from behind the trees, revealing himself to the six bullies surrounding a bruised, disheveled Hinata.

"What the hell do you want?" the one in the fur-trimmed coat growled, pissed off about being disturbed. His name was Kiba. His four companions flanked him and glared hostilely, blocking his view of the freaked out girl.

"I'm here to save her!" Naruto announced with a determined grin.

"Of course you do," Kiba growled, breaking off from the group and standing face-to-face with Naruto. "She's your _master_."

"Huh?" Naruto was dumbfounded. He tried to peek around Kiba but he blocked his view.

"You're saying you don't know?" Kiba growled. "Let me spell it out for you. Hinata's clan enslaves its branch members. In my clan, everyone's family! Who's in the right now?"

Naruto was stupefied. He didn't know about clan stuff. But he did know Iruka-sensei and Hinata-chan! They were family to him and one bossing the other around is not good. "Um that's not good, but why are you beating up Hina-chan for? It's not her fault!"

Kiba snorted. "She's one of the bosses."

"Eh?! Hina-chan's not bossing her family around! Right, Hina-chan?"

"I—I—" her voice was muffled, and Naruto saw her getting beat up.

"Let me past!"

Kiba blocked his path. "Hah, you don't know anything! You don't have a family."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. Then he stormed over to Kiba and grabbed his collar, "Take that back!"

Two boys stopped their physical assault on Hinata and targeted Naruto.

Two more surrounded him on both sides.

Hinata leaned against the brick wall as she fell onto her butt, bleeding from her lip and worse for wear,

But her eyes were sharp.

She watched Naruto make a hand seal and shout, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Six clones formed and fought six boys.

Naruto's taijutsu skills weren't up-to-par, but he was rapidly improving. She hid a smile. He really did learn best in-action.

She leaned her head against the hard brick, watching the fight no more than 4 feet in front of her. Assessing mistakes to correct him later about.

And it gave her a feeling of euphoria to be rescued by Naruto-kun. The concern he displayed towards her was therapeutic.

Maybe she should get bullied more.

It wasn't hard. Just push a few wrong buttons. Anger a few senseless students.

At the very least, that would lessen their assaults on the weaker students.

* * *

><p>櫻花<p>

* * *

><p>At the courtyard….<p>

Hinata was getting bullied.

Naruto saw her and jumped between her attackers.

Hinata smiled slightly.

* * *

><p><span><strong>4 days later<strong>

* * *

><p>Hinata was getting bullied again.<p>

Naruto found out and saved her.

They went to Ichiraku ramen later…

* * *

><p><strong><span>3 days later<span>**

* * *

><p>Hinata was getting bullied.<p>

She checked the time. Naruto should be arriving soon, around that corner.

Sasuke showed up.

Hinata eep'd, and fought back, knocking them out before running for it.

She did not need Sasuke "rescuing" her.

* * *

><p>Sasuke stared at them in astonishment.<p>

* * *

><p>Naruto showed up, and saw the usual bullies lying beaten on the floor, and Sasuke standing over them. He pointed at Sasuke, "Oi, thanks for looking out for Hinata-chan!"<p>

"What?" Sasuke glared.

"But you're still a teme! We're rivals now!"

"Tch. All the more reason you'll keep losing to me, Dead Last," he turned to leave. "By the way, it wasn't me who defeated these losers." He cocked his head slightly behind him with his eye, watching Naruto. "It was Hinata."

"…Eh?!"

* * *

><p>櫻花<p>

* * *

><p>"Hmm…" Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his beard. "The kids are graduating this year."<p>

Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane sat side by side on the couch. Danzo Shimura was standing to their side.

Koharu spoke first, "We need to keep an eye on the Kyuubi. What's more, we need to place the Uchiha with the Kyuubi, to keep him under control for the future."

Homura nodded. "Do you really trust Kakashi to handle_ both_ the Uchiha and Kyuubi?"

Danzo cleared his throat, and finally spoke, "Saru, my offer still stands. I am most suited to be their sensei."

"That is out of the question, Danzo," Hiruzen rebutted. He wasn't going to chastise them for calling Naruto 'Kyuubi,' they already knew he was Minato's son, and right now, they were having an informal conference. "I agree that the Sharingan can keep the Kyuubi under control," Hiruzen spoke as though they were tools. "They will be placed on the same team, under Kakashi Hatake. You know my reasons for doing this, I do not have to say them aloud, or it may turn out bad for you," he was looking right at Danzo.

Danzo forced himself not to swallow. _He knows about ROOT and now he's using his silence as a bargaining chip_. Danzo frowned. "All three of us are against your foolish decision."

"You're outvoted, Hiruzen," Homura said.

"Nonsense!" Hiruzen slammed his desk and burst out an intense wave of killing intent.

Homura and Koharu remained composed. Danzo simply reacted with an equal amount of killing intent.

Their auras clashed in rivalry, before Hiruzen spoke, "As the Hokage, I have full authority over all decisions. You are merely my advisors, and _friends_." He stressed the last part, as if that were the reason they had so much authority.

"Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke will be put on Team 7 under Hatake Kakashi," he looked each one in the eye to drill in his command.

Danzo closed his eyes. "Very well, stubborn monkey."

Hiruzen's eyes softened from hearing that old nickname.

"I consent," Koharu said reluctantly after seeing Danzo give in.

"It's not like we have a choice," Homura chipped in.

Inflated by his fellow councillor's support and the remorse in Hiruzen's eyes, Danzo started speaking, "If Kakashi is as watchful a hawk as you say," Danzo stated bitterly, "I recommend the third member of Team 7 to be Hyuuga Hinata."

"What?!" Koharu blurted out, and Homura examined Danzo through his glasses.

Hiruzen sighed, "I should have known I had this coming from you."

Danzo walked towards Hiruzen and placed his hands on his desk. "That girl is suspicious, very suspicious. She was betrothed to Uchiha Itachi, and she's branded the Kyuubi." His eyes narrowed. "What I am about to say will break the formalities between Hokage and Advisor. We are speaking as_ friends_."

Hiruzen nodded, listening.

"I suspect Hinata has control over Naruto. Hinata is still in contact with Itachi. Should Sasuke be harmed…on Itachi's orders, Hinata will unleash Naruto's Kyuubi."

Hiruzen's jaw dropped.

Homura cleared his throat, "I concur with Danzo. That seems to be the message the Hyuuga girl is sending us. She flaunts her control over Naruto."

Koharu shook her head, "What good will putting her on Kakashi's squad do?"

Danzo looked at her. "Can't you see, Ko-ha-ru? If Kakashi is as exceptional a shinobi Hiruzen apparently believes, what's one more for him to keep watch over?"

"Oh. They are easiest to moderate when in bulk," Koharu looked at Hiruzen. "In that case, I concur with Danzo."

Hiruzen's fists curled. "Kakashi has more than enough on his plate."

Danzo smirked. "In other words, Kakashi-kun can't handle the extra weight of an additional_ notable_ student. Then," Danzo tilted his chin up, "how can you expect him to handle the boy when he starts harnessing the Kyuubi's chakra, or the Uchiha when he starts hunting his older brother?"

Hiruzen was speechless.

"That's right, Saru. I, however, can handle all three." _I am the better choice._

_No, you're not. _"I am putting Hyuuga Hinata on Team 7."

"No—What are you thinking, Saru?!" Koharu yelled. "Don't make decisions like that on impulse."

Homura pushed his glasses. "We know you and Danzo have a rivalry," he ignored Koharu's stare of disbelief about him admitting such a thing, "but don't let it cloud your judgment."

Danzo nodded, "The Kyuubi boy and the Uchiha boy are important tools of Konoha. We cannot sabotage them." _I am most fit for this duty, can't you see that, senile old Monkey? _

Hiruzen felt stressed. "Then, I'll give them a normal teammate," he flipped through his large stacks of files. "Yes, Hinata is a bad influence on Naruto. She completely dominates him."

"Find someone weak," Koharu chimed in. "A civilian strategist. Preferably female."

"Someone with low taijutsu and ninjutsu scores will do, but high intelligItence to keep the roughed up team in place," Homura pushed his glasses up.

"Someone easy to control," Danzo sneered. "Submissive and easy to read. _Kakashi _will need someone like that, lest he gets a mental breakdown, being that weak a sensei."

"I will find someone _normal_," Hiruzen agreed bitterly. _Naruto needs his individuality back. It was his core strength from being raised all alone. I trust in Kakashi to cure Naruto from Hinata's influence. _

Hiruzen pulled out a file. _Pink._ _Feminine_. _High scores. And not shady at all._

Hiruzen smiled to his councilors.

"Sakura Haruno."

* * *

><p>櫻花<p>

* * *

><p>It was time to graduate. Naruto proceeded to the testing room.<p>

"Alright Naruto," Iruka smiled. "Do the Clone jutsu."

"Uhhh okay!" Naruto made a cross hand seal and Iruka's eyes widened. _Don't tell me..._

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Ninety clones filled the classroom, overcrowding Iruka and Mizuki.

"YOU PASS YOU PASS!" Iruka gasped out, "dispel them!

Naruto did.

Mizuki coughed angrily from the smoke, before looking to his superior. "Iruka, are you sure Naruto is ready?"

He smirked, tossing Naruto a brand new headband. "'Course he is, he exceeded my expectations. Shadow Clones can make the same diversions clones make, and much more. Naruto has the chakra," Iruka said knowingly.

"Chakra?" Naruto looked confused._ I thought it was Catra._

"On second thought, maybe you shouldn't have passed-"

"OH I KNOW WHAT CHAKRA IS! Thanks Sensei I'm out!" Naruto was gone in a yellow flash.

Iruka and Mizuki sighed simultaneously.

* * *

><p>櫻花<p> 


End file.
